Hot, Hot, Heat
by Bella-Saves-The-World
Summary: Jacob/OC.Via Cort's just moved to Forks with her Mom. She absolutely hates heat. What happens when she meets certain people? Some unually cold and one who feels like fire? Will she chose friends over love because of her painful memories of heat?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1.

_I hate the heat. _

It's the middle of the winter, so of course Mom has the heat turned up to 80 degrees. I swear the woman is a reptile; cold-blooded. She's huddled up by the fireplace in her Princeton hoodie, with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. I on the other hand was walking about in shorts and a t-shirt. Mom gave me a look of chagrin while I sat down next to her.

"Honestly, I have no idea how you walk around like that." She took a sip out of her dark green mug. I grimaced when I saw the steam rise from the contents the mug contained. I sighed and pulled the blanket resting on the back of the couch, and draped it over my legs.

"Happy?"

She shot me a smug look and nodded. I politely declined when she offered me a sip of her steaming cocoa. I was hot enough with the blanket on right now. I'd much rather be freezing then feel like I'm in the Sahara desert.

"Actually, honey, I've been meaning to discuss something with you." She set her cup down on the end table and turned slightly to face me.

"Alright. Go for it."

"You remember Mr. Gregg, my boss, right?" No need to answer her. She'd continue anyway. "Well, he called me into his office the other day to discuss something very important. There's a job opening in my department and he decided that I was the best candidate for it. You wouldn't believe how much this job pays in comparison to the other one. I just thought that I would discuss this with you because it does affect you too, sweetie."

"Mom, you didn't need to discuss this with me. If you feel like this job is for you, then take it." I patted her shoulder. "Remember, Mom. I'm the child in this relationship. There's no point in asking my permission."

She shook silently with laughter then playfully shrugged my hand off her shoulder. She tucked her long auburn hair behind her ears and smiled at me.

My mother was shockingly beautiful. Most people notice that and tell her she looks too young to be the mother of a 16 year old daughter and in a way she is. She's only 31, she had me at 15. My mother and father, who was 17 at the time, where passionately in love. They'd known each other since they were 3 and 5 and started dating when my mom finally became a teenager. When Mom found out she was pregnant, Dad was there, unlike most 17 year old boys would be if their girlfriend had gotten pregnant. The second he found out, he had rushed to a jewelry store and purchased a ring for her and kept in secret until the day I was born.

She was holding me, in the hospital bed singing to me (very 'badly' as she tells me) when he finally pulled it out of his pocket. He told her that he knew she was only 15 but now that they had me, a product of their love (very cheesy, but that phrase was always mentioned whenever they told me the story), he couldn't wait any longer. He told her that as of right then, it was a promise to always be in the picture.

When she turned 18 it became a promise to get married, and they did. We all lived together in this very house until last year. Dad was out late at work, his job as a detective, and when he didn't come home, Mom got worried. She called his office and there was no answer. Then the hospital called and told her it would be best to come down.

She didn't wake me, and she dashed off to the hospital only to be told that he was shot; in the head and was lying in a coma, with third degree burns all over his body. Turns out, someone doused his car in gasoline and lit it on fire after shooting him. They wanted to get rid of him, destroy evidence. Butt all it did was make him suffer in that stupid coma. A few months later, he flat lined. We were devastated, especially Mom. Her first friend, first boyfriend, first love, was gone.

I shook my head at the memories that just looking at my own mother brought back to me. She stared at me and I realized I had my lips pressed together in a tight line.

"But there is a downside." I urged her to continue. "We have to… move."

I gulped down the bulge that had accumulated in my throat and stared, wide eyed, at her.

"Move?" She shook her head hesitantly. "Well, I guess, I mean." I could see the hope in her blue eyes and there was absolutely no way I could tell her no.

"Well, Mom, I say… Let's get packing." I grimaced at the fakeness I could hear in my voice. But by the way she jumped off the couch and threw me up in a tight hug, I didn't regret saying yes. Maybe moving is just what we need. Being in this house, makes it hard on her. Everything about this place is _Dad. _

"You really won't regret this Alyvia!" She shrieked and squeezed me again before rushing up to her room to, no doubt, call and accept the job offer.

I, however, sunk back into the soft cushions of the couch and reached for her hot chocolate. I sipped it and winced. _Yes, I definitely hate heat._

---

I spent a majority of the time we had left to head over to the airport sitting in the middle of my room, staring at my empty walls and floor. It looked so big and spacious, just like it had when I was redecorating it and had to clear everything out. Only, this was different. Sad.

"Come on Liv, we're going to be late!"

I picked myself up off the floor, giving one more glace around before I grabbed the door and slammed it shut. Tears dared to fall from my eyes, begging to make me let them out, but I couldn't. I squeezed back the salty water and made my way downstairs. Mom was standing at the bottom of the steps with a smile that took up half of her face.

I wanted to run back upstairs and shut myself in my room, never coming out again, but I couldn't do that now that I've seen her. She's so happy to make a fresh start in a little town in Washington called Forks, all the way across the country, much to my dismay. I trudged down the stairs with my suitcase dragging behind me and stopped right in front of her. I noticed that our heights have evened out in the past year. I've always been sort of tall for my age, but my mom had always been taller then me. Bridget, my mother, had reminded me of a supermodel for as long as I could remember. With her bright blue eyes, which I'd inherited from her instead of Dad's light, sky blue eyes, her dark auburn hair and smooth skin, she often got mistaken as one.

A lot of people say that we have similar traits, but they never actually say I look like her, because I don't. I look like an exact mix of her and my father, Aden. I'd gotten his light brown hair and his nose and face shape, but Mom's eyes, skin complexion, and mouth. I don't embrace my looks like they do though, I hardly ever wear makeup and my hair's never done.

As of right now, I was decked out in a pair of dark wash skinny jeans, a black AC/DC t-shirt and my Ugg boots, while Mom was in a flowy cream colored peasant top, light flared jeans and, what looked like, painful heals. Always beautiful.

"Are you ready?" Bridget took my suitcase from me and wheeled it over to where hers was sitting. I couldn't trust my voice quite yet so I just nodded and took in the emptiness that surrounded me. We stepped out of the house and into the bright sun that made what was left of the snow, shimmer around us. Mom shivered as she shrugged on her jacket, "I will never understand how you can walk around like that without catching hypothermia." She laughed.

I shrugged in response while a smile pulled onto my face. I was like Dad in this way, he always loved the cold rather then heat, and he hardly ever felt the need to wear a jacket outside. Out of the corner of my eye I saw some snow sitting in the grass. I bent over to pick up the frozen water in my hand, relishing the feeling of it. The only good thing about Forks was that it was almost always cold. Bridget would hate that part, but I would embrace it. It's the only thing I feel like I can do to be close to Dad once again.

---

The plane ride was absolutely terrible. We spent six horrifying hours on that stupid plane, just to make it to Seattle. When the humongous bird finally landed at the airport I couldn't wait to get off. I'd been cramped into my seat the whole time and could practically feel the heat of all the bodies radiating off of me and it made me shake. I couldn't stand it.

In the terminal, me and Mom grabbed our bags, got something to eat really quick, because we both refused airplane food, and then called a cab to take us to our new home. The ride took awhile but I couldn't tell how long, because I'd been spacing out, staring outside at my new surroundings and taking it all in. It was beautiful, I'd give it that. Much more beautiful then back home in Delaware. Everything here was green, despite that fact that it was winter and there was snow laying on the ground. It was an amazing difference, I concluded as I compared it to the brown grass back home.

Mom had to shake me once we'd arrived in our new neighborhood. The houses were of medium size and fairly good looking, I guess. One house caught my attention because of the girl and boy standing in the yard, staring at the cab. The boy was easily the most gorgeous guy I'd ever seen in my life. His bronze hair was sticking up, as if he'd just gotten out of bed, but in the best way possible, his skin was ungodly pale, but yet, the girl next to him was almost the same shade.

She was beautiful with her dark brown hair giving her skin a nice contrast. I consciously looked down at my own skin and saw almost the same shade of white as the girl. I laughed mentally, thinking about my friends back home who would tease me for being so pale. My all Irish background is to blame. I looked back up for a split second only to see them both smiling at me. I smile back, hoping that maybe, just maybe they could become good friends.

I felt a strange pang of sadness as I realized we had passed them and were now two houses down. Right in front of our new home. "We're here!" Bridget screamed, handing over the money to the cab driver. She pried the door open and jumped out into the cold air. I smiled in spite of myself and climbed out to join her. The freezing air hit my cheeks and I loved the feeling of it. It stung my eyes but I wouldn't close them. This was the feeling I adored, much like how athletes love the rush of whichever sport.

We gathered our bags from the trunk and stood on the sidewalk in front of the light blue house, staring up at it. It was old looking, but I felt like it fit us. Mom did her best to try and usher me inside the house, but I wasn't having it. I wanted to take a walk around the neighborhood first, so I could get used to everything. Mom looked dubious at first but I managed to persuade her, but not without her wanting me to put a jacket on first. I complied with her wish and fished out a light hoodie and zipped it in place.

As soon has she had the door closed behind her I took a deep breath and inhaled the scent of Forks, Washington. The smell was crisp and clean and it made me feel like this was a new start. I could make whatever I wanted out of this new phase in my life and I was determined to do that.

The back of my head told me to start walking to the right. The direction I'd seen the painfully gorgeous boy and girl. My Converse covered feet slapped the pavement with a light force as I headed in that direction, as a million things ran through my mind. I didn't want them to think I was coming just to talk to them, which technically I wasn't. So I decided that if they were still outside by the time I reached them I'd give a small smile in their direction and maybe wave and then if they wanted to talk, I would.

One look ahead confirmed that they were still outside of the white house, leaning up against a rusted, red truck. One detail was different though. A small, pixie like girl was standing with them. Her dramatic black hair was cut at short angles that framed her tiny, perfect face. She was the same kind of beautiful as the boy. She was obviously related, in one way or another, to him because despite the difference in hair color, they both had the same rare, gold eye color I realized as I got closer.

The guy looked away from the girls standing with him and looked straight at me, with his eyebrows furrowed. I quickly shot my eyes down to my feet and concentrated on walking faster. Hadn't he just smiled at me earlier?

I'd almost made it past them when one of the girls called out after me, "Hey!" I figured it was the tiny one, because her voice was almost too high pitched the other girl. I turned around slowly and looked at the tiny group before me. Each one of them breathtakingly beautiful, although the taller girl seemed like she felt incompetent next to them.

The little one spoke then, with the same voice that had called out to me, "You're new, right?" She seemed to bounce up and down with excitement as she talked. Her body practically gave off vibrations of happiness. Why wouldn't she be happy? She was beautiful and most likely popular because of the energy she gave off.

I nodded meekly at her question and tucked my hands into my pockets. I noticed that her and the boy weren't as bundled up as the taller girl. I wished to know their names so that I could define them more clearly. "I'm Edward," the boy introduced himself as he stuck out a gloved hand. I took a few steps forward in order to grab his hand to shake. "This is Alice," he shot a look at the pixie like creature in front of me. "And this is Bella," he announced with a pointed look at the taller girl. The way he said Bella's name was so full of love and adoration and I couldn't help but smile. It was obvious that they were together. I bet every girl at their school was clearly jealous that a guy as handsome as him was taken.

"Alyvia." I smiled at them, "But, you can call me Via."

"I like it! It's so pretty and original. I wish my name was more original, it's not even my real name. It's my middle name. But I don't really like my first name. It's so bland." Alice exclaimed talking a mile a minute. For someone so small she really made an impression. I smiled at her enthusiasm as she talked. Usually I really hate when people go on and on but I really didn't mind her talking. Her voice was calming and it flowed like velvet as she spoke. Bella, the girl I'd seen earlier in the car on my was past caught my eye and she smiled. Her slightly darker skin was clear and soft and I wished my skin looked like that. Even her dark brown eyes that were surrounded by thick black eyelashes had me wishing that my eyes looked like that, even though people complimented my eyes all the time. Stupid comments like, _You're eyes are so bright! _or _You're so lucky to have blue eyes. _For once I'd like to get commented on the depth that my eyes held. I bet she got that compliment all the time.

"So, Via, what school are you going to be attending?" I recognized the voice as Edward's. It was like him and Alice were perfectly harmonized. If they were to speak at the same time, it would probably come out sounding like music. His voice was like a tenor to her soprano and it came out just as velvety.

"Uh, Forks High School."

"No way! That's where we go! What grade?" Alice sang. I found myself wondering what Bella's voice sounded like. Was hers velvety and smooth like the other two? Or would hers be somewhat like mine; unsure and awkward?

"Uh, 10th," I noted bitterly. I really felt like I was too advanced for the 10th grade, but apparently at Forks they don't care about that. They put you in the grade you're supposed to be in, then they just put you in advanced classes if they feel like it's appropriate. _Besides_, they'd said, _Since Alyvia has already skipped grade 8 we feel like she should be in the correct grade with advanced classes. _I remember being furious when we got that letter but I guess it's better to be around people who are only a year or two older rather then three or four. Although I'd prefer being around older people.

"That's too bad. We're in 12th." Alice pouted and crossed her arms across her chest, "I mean I totally thought that you were going to be in our grade, you look old enough. How old are you anyway?"

"15," I stated in the same tone as before. _Too young for you guys to want to hang out with. _I sighed inwardly thinking that they really wouldn't want to be associated with me in school after knowing that I was that young, though I was going to be 16 in two months. No seniors ever really wanted to hang out with younger kids. I kicked the rocks under my feet nervously as I waited for someone to speak.

"We'll probably still see you at lunch though. You should sit with us! I'll save you a spot!"

A smile formed on my cold lips when I realized how stupid I'd just been. They were definitely nice enough people to include me like that even though I'd just met them. I felt excitement grow inside of me when I realized my worst fear, ending up sitting in a bathroom stall eating my lunch, was gone. Alice had put that fear to rest when she'd invited me to sit with them.

"That'd be great. Thank you."

We stood around talking for awhile after that. I wasn't even completely sure what time it was, but I didn't care either. I was just gracious that I'd made, I guess I could call them this, friends. They, being Edward and Alice, asked me all the questions I could possibly think of. Bella stood besides Edward quietly. I could tell she was cold because she kept bundling up in her coat and breathing against her mitten covered hands. I wondered if she didn't like me, even though we hadn't even spoken to one another yet.

"Tell me about your boyfriend!" Alice exclaimed as she set a freezing hand on my arm. I wondered why she wasn't wearing gloves or something if her hands got that cold from being outside, but then again, she could ask me the same thing.

"I…uh… I don't have one." A red blush crept up my neck and threatened to cover my cheeks. I shoved my hands down harder into my pockets and bowed my head to the ground.

"Oh. I'm sorry. I just assumed, you know. I mean someone as pretty as you should have a boyfriend. Any guy who would turn you down must be -" I saw Bella nudge her in the stomach but Alice didn't flinch one bit, she just stopped talking mid-sentence. I sent Bella a grateful look and she smiled back at me. "I'm sorry." Alice apologized and I made sure to tell her that it was ok.

"Guy's just… I don't know. All the guys in my grade usually don't want someone two years younger then them. They think I'm a kid." I explained, hoping that it didn't make me seem pathetic or anything.

"Ok, so moving on to my next question!" Alice swayed her hands in the air as she talked, "What kind of guys do you like?" I stiffened where I stood and seriously thought about her question. What kind of guys _did _I like?

"Well, I guess this is where I let you girls get acquainted," Edward excused himself to go inside and make a phone call. He pecked Bella on the forehead before leaving us. I smiled at the loving gesture.

My response to the question was a few stammers, a few stuttered words, and a nervous cough. That only goaded Alice into more questions.

"Tall, dark, and handsome? Dangerous? Funny? Come one! Tell me something!" Alice was practically hoping all over me, clearly awaiting my answer. I was about to let out a few more stammered words when Bella burst out laughing. It shocked me because the girl hadn't even spoken a word since I'd been standing there and now she was laughing uncontrollably. Alice shot her a glare and asked her what she found so amusing about a simple question.

"You just described…," Bella's laugh died down to an angry whisper, "Jacob." I noticed Alice's eyes darken at the mention of the name and I wondered who the 'Jacob' guy was. Obviously Alice didn't like him, that much was clear but there was something else in her eyes. A faraway look. Suddenly she snapped her eyes closed once and opened them up with an unidentifiable expression.

"Oh that little…" She turned towards the street and glared down the road before running up to the house, swinging the door open and calling for Edward. I saw him reach the door and Alice pulled him down almost two feet to her level and whispered something in his ear. His expression now mimicked Alice's. He shot a look over to Bella and told her something with his eyes. I stood there feeling like I was interrupting something important.

Alice sprinted over to Bella and whispered something to her in a low voice. I casually, and awkwardly, stared at my feet and kicked pebbles, not wanting it to seem like I was eavesdropping. I felt a hand on my arm and realized Alice was looking at me with a tiny smile placed on her face.

"I'm so sorry we couldn't talk more. Edward and I have to go attend to some… family business. But I'll see you on your first day at Forks! I'll save you that seat by me at lunch." She leaned up and placed a kiss on my cheek before ruffling my hair and walking away to the silver Volvo parked by the sidewalk. I turned around and saw Edward place a chaste kiss to Bella's forehead. He whispered something to her, yet again too low for me to hear and stalked off to the driver's side of the Volvo. Alice waved at us from the window as the sped off down the narrow street.

Hesitantly, I turned back around to face Bella. She grinned at me, "Alice is a lot to handle, isn't she?"

I was glad that the tension, or what seemed like tension, between me and Bella was now gone. I laughed at her joke and smiled back at her. I couldn't help but agree. Alice was like a child on a sugar high.

"I'm guessing you start school Monday." I confirmed with a nod of my head. "Well, I think I should give you a ride." She smiled and motioned for me to come inside.

I followed her into her house, shutting the door behind me. Bella kicked her shoes off on the rug and I followed in suit. I decided to keep my hoodie on, since there was really no point in taking it off only to put it back on. Her house was very much a man's house with a slight feminine touch, most likely from her or her mother.

"We have the house to ourselves. My Dad doesn't come home for a few more hours." _Oh. _I nodded at her. _Divorced. _

She sat down on the couch in her living room and said for me to sit as well. Her couch was comfortable, much more so then the new one Mom had insisted on buying for the house. She didn't think our old one fit the color scheme.

Just as we had settled in on the couch, making conversation, the phone rang. Bella held up her index finger to show that she'd only be one minute and she handed me the remote for the flat screen TV. I smiled at her as she walked out of the room, then clicked the TV on to pass time while she was on the phone. I tried to concentrate on the pointless show that was on, but it was hard when I could hear Bella's side of the conversation.

It was definitely a guy on the other line. I could tell because of the low buzzing coming from the receiver. I turned the volume on the TV down just a bit, not to obvious, so that I could listen better.

"Really? I swear sometimes you're so arrogant. Why would you expect anything other then them being here?" I heard her say forcefully into the phone. The buzzing returned.

"Listen, the best thing for you right now would be to change your mind and not come over. I have a friend over." She paused for a few seconds, "I swear, call them that again and so help me…No! Come over and you'll face the wrath that is Bella Swan. Do you hear me?" The buzzing sound vibrated the phone again. Longer then before.

"Do not hang up on me! I swear…Jacob Black!" She growled into the phone and then slammed it down. I guess he did hang up on her. What a prick.

She stormed back into the living room and looked at me with an apologetic expression. She plopped down on her side of the couch and sighed.

"So… How do you feel about making a new…friend?" She asked hesitantly, trying to sound excited. I faked a smile right back at her. I wasn't all that excited about meeting this Jacob guy. From what I heard from her conversation with him, he sound like a total ass. We heard some tires come to a halt outsider her house and she groaned.

"Jerk called from a cell phone." She mumbled as she peeked out the window. I guessed that he didn't live all that close to her. She glanced back at me and told me to stay there so she could see if she could get him to leave before he ever even came in. I did as I was told because there was no way I wanted to meet this guy if she didn't even want him here.

Once again I eavesdropped on her conversation with him, although this time I could hear both ends.

"Hey Bells. Miss me?" I heard a deep husky voice ask from the doorway. I kept my eyes trained on the TV, forcing myself not to look back to see what he looked like.

"You really are delusional Jake. Want me to get Carlisle to check that out?" She asked in a mocking voice. I heard Jacob scoff in disgust. "Look, just leave. Please, I have company." She pretty much pleaded with him, trying to get him to leave.

"I love new people. Unless she's a blo-"

A slap echoed through the air and it startled me. I was surprised that someone could push Bella so far. She seemed like a patient person.

"Don't you dare say it. She's a new friend and I swear if you mess up our friendship by being the jerk you are, I will never speak to you again."

I pictured her pointing her finger into his chest as he stared down at her. I wasn't exactly sure how tall this guy was, but there's a pretty good chance that he's taller then Bella. I mean, she was tiny. Not Alice tiny, but tiny. I was a good three inches taller then her, but she's so petite it makes her look smaller next to me. Even though I only stood at 5'7, I felt like a giant compared to her and Alice.

"Sure, sure. That's what you said last time. Now, if you don't mind I want to come inside and meet your little friend."

I panicked. I didn't want to meet him! I didn't even want to be in the same room as him. He sounded like a cocky, arrogant jerk and I wanted nothing to do with him.

"Fine. But wait her for… a minute before I call you in." I imagined him giving her a questioning look. "Just do it." Then I heard her feet shuffle away from the door and back towards me.

"Look, it may not seem like it right now, but Jake's actually a nice guy. He's just not… okay with the fact that I'm friends Alice and Edward." Her voice was a hurried whisper.

I stared up at her and into her eyes to see if she was lying or not. Her eyes were truthful and I wondered how she could still say that about him when he hated her friends. Which in turn, were my new friends. Which made me even madder. "Come on, Jake!" Bella shouted through the thick, growing thicker, air. Heavy footsteps pounded against the floorboards as he walked into the living room. I saw him move, from the corner of my eye, into the chair that was next to my side of the couch.

I didn't look away from the TV and if I did, my gaze went right to Bella. _Tall, dark and handsome? Dangerous? Funny? _Alice voice repeated in my head. _You just described…Jacob. _For someone who hated, or just really didn't like at this point, him to say he was still good looking and funny, I kind of wanted to know if she was right. I was dying to see what this guy looked like. If Bella could still call him 'handsome' even with a boyfriend as gorgeous as Edward, this guy had to be pretty cute.

I noticed him mouth something to Bella behind my back, literally. I wasn't quite sure what it was, but I felt extremely awkward. I pushed a look strand of hair behind my ear and continued to stare at the TV. He probably thought there was something wrong with me and wanted her to confirm it.

Suddenly, I felt a nudge on my arm from Bella. "Hey, I know it's like bad timing, since we have another… guest. But I want to show you my room." I noticed that her eyes were begging me to follow her up there, so I nodded and stood up with her. I felt Jacob's eyes burn into the back of my head as he watched us walk up the stair.

"It's ok, really. I'll sit here and wait for you guys!" He called from his spot. I rolled my eyes but refused to look back at him.

I felt Bella tug at my arm harder as we reached her door. She slammed it shut behind us and we walked over and sat on her bed.

"I'm sorry if this is awkward. I told him not to come." She ran a hand through her long, curly locks and sighed. "He was staring at you…though you probably noticed."

I let out a loud laugh. "I'm used to it. Guys usually give me weird stares all the time because I don't act like normal teenage girls. I absolutely hate doing my hair and makeup so I don't even bother." To my surprise she began laughing. Loudly for the second time that day.

"That's the thing, Via. Jacob isn't a normal teenage guy. He doesn't really care about hair and makeup. He was asking me your name." I know that my eyes widened. I also know that my eyebrows furrowed after her statement rolled around in my mind for awhile.

"He what?" I nearly shouted in hysterics. Bella clamped her hand over my mouth and quieted me.

"Don't say anything louder then a whisper. He has _really_ good ears." She chuckled like it was an inside joke. "But yes, he asked your name. He's never really shown any interest in any other girl except…" She winced, "Me." I nodded, understanding that there was a story behind all that, but I didn't pry.

"So what do I do?"

"Well, I could tell him your name and you guys could talk? Or not. It's up to you." She glanced at the door as if wondering if his ear was pressed up against it, listening.

"I suppose… we could go back down and… talk?" I flinched. I was not good at talking to any boy and this one was going to be even harder, especially if he talks to me the way he was just talking to Bella. If that's the case I'd probably haul off and hit him square in the jaw.

She nodded and we both stood from the bed and made our way to the steps. We quietly descended down the staircase back into the living room. I finally got a look at the mysterious boy. Scratch that, he didn't even look like a boy. He looked about 25 years old, but I specifically remember Bella saying he was a teenager. How late in his teens? I don't know.

From my view of him I got a quick glance at his defined jaw line that was covered in russet colored skin. His black hair was cropped short and was pulled into a tiny faux-hawk. His perfectly shaped eyebrows pulled over his deep, chocolate eyes. They were about ten times darker then Bella's, if that's even possible, but they weren't black. His nose ran down in a perfect line and his full lips were slightly parted as he watched the TV, completely oblivious to the fact that we were standing there.

His huge hands grasped the tiny remote and his fingers could hardly press down one button without pressing down another at the same time. The one thing that really struck me was that he was wearing baggy jeans with a white beater and there was absolutely no sigh of a humongous, obviously male, jacket anywhere. He seriously walked around like that in the middle of the winter.

Bella cleared her throat after a few moments of standing there in complete silence. His face turned to look at us and he smiled. He was even better looking when he was completely facing me. Suddenly I felt extremely self conscious. Then he stood and towered over us so tall, that if he even attempted to stand on the tip of his toes, he would most likely hit the ceiling.

I noticed Bella quickly glancing at me to see if I was going to speak like I said I would, but noticed I was frozen in place.

"Alright! Nice seeing you Jacob, but I think me and…her are going to spend a little girl time together. You know, get to know each other better." Bella put her hands on his broad shoulders and tried to swivel him around, towards the door. But it was really a lost cause because Jacob was so built. He smiled at her attempts and then looked back at me.

"I think we should all get to know each other better," He said pointedly at me with a smirk. My eyes widened as he jutted his huge hand out for me to shake. "Jake. You are?" I looked from his hand, up to smile, and then back to his hand again.

I stuck my shaking hand out towards his and grabbed it weakly in mine. I'd made sure not to look directly in his eyes yet, that's too intimate for me. As soon as his hand was in mine, I felt the outrageous heat coming off of it. It was almost like fire, and as soon as I thought of that, images flashed in my head. My dad's burning car that was photographed and placed in newspapers all around Delaware for weeks. His scorched body lying in that hospital bed. The doctors warning us not to touch him where any of the burns were, because they'd still be hot and they would hurt if they were to be touched. The image of my dad's grave, the day he was buried.

I quickly pulled my hand out of his and walked as fast as I could towards the door, grabbing my shoes and leaving the house as fast as possible. I wasn't going to cry in front of people I just met. It was too soon. They didn't know my past.

I heard the door swing open behind me and light feet stomping on the ground. "Via, wait!" Bella called after me. I spun around quickly on my heals and looked at her, pleading with the tears to not fall for at least a few more minutes.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just… I should really go help my mom unpack. I'm sorry. Maybe I'll see you later?" I shoved my shoes on my wet feet and looked back at her. She nodded her head, looking a little let down and then hugged me. Her cold skin sent different memories through my head. Good memories of my Dad.

I waved goodbye to her and stalked down the sidewalk, back to my house. On the walk there I'd decided that Jacob Black was my own, personal devil who came back to reprimand me for everything I'd done wrong. I was going to stay far away from Jacob Black and his fiery hands. At least… that's what I planned.

---


	2. Chapter 2

**This is where the language kicks in. Especially in Jacob's POV. Just to let you know.  
Oh, please review. I got a lot of hits and no reviews :( But I'll be updating no matter what. Each chapter will be up as it's finished.**

Chapter 2.

I didn't see Bella again that weekend since I'd been stuck inside helping square things away with Bridget. She wanted everything done by my first day of school, which I was actually looking forward too, unless…_he_ was in any of my classes. It'd been three days and I still couldn't get his fiery hand and… I'd admitted it, gorgeous face out of my mind.

I woke up that Monday after dreaming about our meeting all over again, for the third night. I always got to the part where our hands touched, but then I would wake up just in time.

I pulled myself out of bed and into the bathroom. I took a quick shower and did everything that required a bathroom then headed back to my room to get dressed. I decided to leave my hair down and natural instead of pulling it up. I wanted to make a good first impression. Then I pulled out a green tank top with a pair of skinny jeans and black moccasin boots to go over the jeans. Then I pulled out a black zip up hoodie to go over the tank top. I took a quick peek at myself in the mirror and decided it would do.

I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs to eat breakfast with Bridget.

She started work the same day I started school, so she was off before me. I told her I already had a ride there and back with one of our neighbors and she seemed pleased that I'd made a friend. She wished me luck and headed out the door.

I wonder whether Bella wanted me to meet her at her house or wait here. I didn't have long to wonder because soon there was a knock at my front door. I jumped up to answer and I was greeted by Bella, her red truck roared to life on the side of the street.

"Ready to go?" She asked as she shivered. She obviously wasn't used to the cold yet. I on the other hand stepped out just the way I was and earned a wide eyed look from her and then a laugh and a mumble, "Just like them." I assumed she was talking about Edward and Alice. I hated to think she would even compare me to…_him. _

On the way there, Bella pointed out the important things in Forks, which wasn't much. She pointed out the hospital; where Edward and Alice's Dad worked as a doctor, the police station; where her dad worked and other random shops. She talked about the school and how everyone would flip over the new girl seeing as everyone already knew all the new freshman since before they even started school.

Once we pulled up she parked and offered to show me to the main office. As soon as we were there she wished me luck, like my mom had, and was off to her classes. I checked in with the lady at the desk, Mrs. Cope. She handed me a map, my schedule and a piece of paper that every teacher was supposed to sign. Bella warned me about that part.

Then I got another wish of good luck and I was off on my own. The school was easy to figure out, plus it helped that Bella gave me some direction in the car. I quickly found my first class, one of the only classes I wasn't advanced in. Math. I hate math. Chances are I'm never going to use it in my life time. I'm a writer and an artist. Where does math come into the equation? Literally.

Math was boring, like it always is no matter what school you go to. Another thing Bella was right about were the stares. I hate stares. After my dad died that's all anyone did. They stared because they didn't know what to say or do.

My second period was an advanced class. Senior level actually. I was hoping that it would be with either Edward, Alice or Bella so I'd have someone to talk to. Luckily it was English so I knew I would enjoy it anyway.

I walked into the classroom, handed the teacher the paper and looked around while he signed it. Near the back of the class I spotted Edward, and he was looking back at me, with a small smile on his face. I quickly asked him with my eyes if I could sit near him. He nodded like he knew exactly what I wanted to know. I walked to the back of the classroom as fast as I could and took a seat next to him.

"Thank you." I muttered quietly, dropping my bag on the floor next to my chair. Sitting next to him only earned me more stares though. I think he noticed because he turned to me.

"Senior English?" He asked loud enough for only me to hear. I smiled softly and nodded my head. "I'm impressed." He chuckled.

The rest of the class crawled by slowly. Me and Edward didn't talk the rest of the time but that was okay. It wasn't an awkward silence it was just…silence. I felt more at ease sitting with someone I was familiar with then if I had to sit alone.

The next three classes were all advanced but I didn't have any of them with Alice, Bella or Edward which made me a little upset, but I quickly put it aside as I realized that it was lunch and I would see them soon enough. I found my way back to my locker and shoved all the unneeded stuff into it, then made my way towards the cafeteria thanks to the help of the stampeding crowd.

Just as I was about to enter the room I felt a push from behind me. I realized that someone had just rudely bumped into me without even say sorry.

"It's alright. I'm fine." I yelled at the direction of the guys back. He turned around and looked at me with a scowl that turned into a smirk. A creepy one at that.

"Oh, did I run into you?" He asked as his eyes raked up and down my body.

"Yeah you did." I scoffed tried to push past him into the cafeteria but he wouldn't budge."Well I should make it up to you. Sit with me at lunch." He said in a sickly sweet tone that I was definitely not falling for. I was about to either tell him off or kick him in the groin when I heard the familiar voice of Edward behind me.

"Mike, I believe that Via here was trying to get into the cafeteria." I spun around to face Edward seeing that he was alone. I figured that Bella and Alice were inside already. I moved closer to him so that I wasn't dangerously close to this Mike guy.

"Come on Cullen. I'm just having a little fun with the new meat around here." He snickered as his eyes combed my body again. I heard a sound, familiar to a growl in the back of Edward's throat when he noticed Mike staring at me like that.

"Then go bother the freshmen." He said as he put a protective arm around my shoulder and pushed us past Mike. I was still absolutely disgusted with that guy, Mike even though we were past him.

"Don't like guys like him bother you." Edward said to me as he steered us to a table in the back. I noticed Alice's black spiky hair and grinned.

"Thank you for saving me like that. It was nice of you." I smiled up at him gratefully. He nodded and climbed into the seat next to Bella, pressing a light kiss on her cheek. I took a seat next to Alice, the one that she'd saved for me.

"What happened back there?" Alice's eyes were wide with curiosity as she looked back and forth between me and Edward. I let Edward explain the situation as he toyed with Bella's hair. It was positively the cutest thing ever. I noticed how she blushed as he played with her long locks between his fingers.

"How's your first day going?" Bella asked as she sipped at the water bottle. I noticed that neither Edward or Alice had anything in front of them. I asked why that was and they both shrugged saying that they hated cafeteria food and they'd get something to eat once they got home. I just shrugged. The food wasn't that bad.

I found out that in my next class I had, senior level biology, both Bella and Edward were in it. That made me feel infinitely better and then Alice threw in that she had gym, which was all grades split into different groups, and history with me after.

When the day ended I was already packed with homework so I could catch up with everything. Bella promised to come over after she'd made dinner for her dad so that she could help me with some of it. She dropped me off at my house and then drove back up the hill to hers.

When I walked in I noticed that Bridget still wasn't home yet. I shrugged off my hoodie and plopped down on the couch, not even bothering to star my homework yet. Besides my teachers couldn't expect me to catch up that fast.

I watched TV for about a half hour but then found myself getting bored. I looked at the clock and realized that Bella wouldn't be arrive for a few more hours so I took the liberty to head done to the tiny, Podunk park at the end of the road. I took my camera so that I could photograph some of the beauty of Forks.

I scoped out the best spot in the park to take pictures in when I saw the oddest, but prettiest flowers I'd ever seen. They were a striking lime green with dark green leaves giving them contrast. From a certain angle the lighting made them pink-tinted and I decided to use that to my advantage. I snapped the picture from a few mildly different angles and then snapped my camera shut. I wasn't going to find anything more beautiful then that today.

I pulled out my cell phone to check the time, and seeing that it was only 4:30 I knew that Bella's dad would almost be home so that still gave her an hour or two for dinner. I decided I didn't have to go back yet so I made my way over to an old tire swing and sat down.

Back home I would have thought sitting alone in a tiny old park would be boring as hell, but I didn't mind it here. It was quiet and peaceful and gave me some time to think. Before I knew it, that time was up and I made my way back to my house just a few minutes before Bella arrived.

Once we got settled inside I cracked open some of the books to the correct pages.

"Where do you think we should-" Her voice cut my sentence short, "Uh, before we start…I have to tell you this." She took a deep breath and I urged for her to continue. "Jacob came by today. Actually I should say 'came by' because he's actually outside right now. He wouldn't leave."

My breathing hitched inside my throat as all the stupid memories came flooding back. All the ones that I'd avoided for days, trying to make a fresh start all over again, came back. Suddenly I felt my cheeks heat up with anger. Who was this guy? Why the hell was he making all those memories come back?

"He's outside right now? Outside my house?" I asked standing up from my spot at the kitchen table. I took her nodding as confirmation and did something I'd never have done before. I marched over to the door and swung it open with all my strength and sure enough, he was there leaning against what I could only assume is his car. _No eye contact_, I reminded myself. But I could still tell that as soon as he saw me, he smirked. There was no doubt that he knew I was angry.

"I'm sorry, do I have to call the cops?" I called to him as the door shut behind me. His smirk grew as I spoke.

"She speaks. And sure, you could. But I have to warn you," his smirk got even cockier, which was hard to do I assume. "They all like me."

He was adding fuel to the fire, and I winced at that analogy in my head. This guy was radiating heat and now, so was I.

"I really don't know who you are, but I think that you should… oh, I don't know. Get off my property?" I took a few steps closer to the vertically blessed guy in front of me who still had that stupid smirk on his face. He was, in childish words, freaking huge! My face only reached his chest and that's odd for me. Usually I can almost see directly into a guys eyes, but then again most normal guys are at the most 6'2". I swear that Jacob was almost 7 foot.

"Technically, I'm on the sidewalk. So unless you're the mayor, I could stand here all day." His back inched slightly off the car as I made my way closer. If this were a cartoon, my head would have been making that whistling noise and my ears and nose would be smoking. Overall, my head would look like a tea kettle.

"Hilarious. But would you mind telling me what you want? If it's Bella I can go inside and get her. Problem solved." I turned my back to walk away as if to make my point. I heard him chuckle and that stopped my in my tracks. "What?"

"You could go get her, but that would just be pointless."

"What?" I blinked a few times in confusion. "Then why are you here?"

"Let's see. Friday I met this one girl at my friend's, let's call my friend…Shmella. So anyways I met this girl at Shmella's and right when I introduce myself, and like the gentleman I am, I try to shake her hand… she runs away." He took a step closer, and I took a step back.

"Well, maybe that…girl had something to do." My voice wavered slightly, but not much. "Things happen."

"Yes, but see… this girl, whose name I don't even know, has been bugging the shit out of me. I can't help but think that I'm so…repulsive that she'd run away from me." What's with him inching forward, closer to me?

"Honestly, maybe you just think to highly of yourself."

"Hmm," He pretended to look stumped. "No I don't think that's it." I rolled my eyes at the arrogance that floated off of him. "I think she was…afraid of me." He tried to catch my eyes but I let them wonder to a bright green bush in the corner of my yard, until I realized what he just said. Eye contact be damned!

"I was not _afraid _of you!" I yelled loudly enough that Bella could surely hear inside the house. Of all the self absorbed people in the world, he was high up on the list that I couldn't stand right now.

"Mmhmm. Well, maybe I'm wrong. But then again I'm hardly ever wrong." He took yet another step forward and literally looked down at me. I narrowed my eyes at him and prepared for actual smoke to shoot my ears.

"Do you always make such a good first impression?" I ground my teeth in anger.

"I don't know. Do you?"

I couldn't bare another second standing there with him. I turned in the direction of my house and walked quickly to the front door. I gripped the knob in my hand and swung it open, slamming it behind me. I stood there besides the door practically red from anger and huffed in annoyance. I took a few minutes to calm myself down before I went back to Bella. She didn't need to know that he'd pissed me off. Come to think of it… I didn't even really know how he had that affect one me. Was it just because of his outrageously hot hand? Because his touch brought painful memories back into my mind? Or was it simply because the guy's arrogant and pinheaded?

Bella looked at me from her place at the kitchen table and twitched her mouth into an apologetic half smile.

"You heard every word didn't you?" I collapsed next to her and leaned my head back against the back of the chair. I felt a headache coming on.

"Your walls are very thin."

I sighed, " You said he was a teenager? He looks like he's in his twenties. If my mom comes home and he's still out there, she's going to be creeped out." This got a loud laugh out of Bella. Man, when this girl laughs, she really laughs.

"He's not even seventeen yet, Via. His birthday's in a month."

Was she kidding? There's no way I would have ever guessed that he was only 16, very close to 17, but still sixteen nonetheless. Maybe they grew fast here, I wasn't sure. Could, possibly be the genes too. Something in the water?

Bella and I finished half the work in less then an hour. She was definitely smarter then a lot of people her age, I'd give her that. I decided that I could do the rest tomorrow and didn't refuse when she offered to come help again. For the rest of the evening we sat in the living room, snaking on different kinds of junk food and talking about everything we had yet to know about each other. Bella was like the older sister I never had. I found out that she'd lived in Phoenix, Arizona until last year when she decided she wanted to get to know Charlie, her dad. Her birthday was September 13, and she was turning 18 turning 19. She and Alice became best friends once her and Edward started dating. She mentioned that Edward and Alice were both adopted my Dr. Carlisle Cullen. They also had another adopted brother named Emmett, who was off at college with their foster siblings. Rosalie and Jasper Hale were two gorgeous blondes, Bella described.

At 7:30, Bridget came home with Chinese takeout. Her face brightened as she noticed Bella sitting next to me. Bridget offered Bella some of the food but Bella politely declined and excused her self to go home. She reminded me that she'd pick me up in the morning for school and we hugged goodbye. When she was gone, Mom wanted to know everything about Bella. I told her everything that she should know. That Bella was a senior and that she was nice enough to befriend me and that she lived right up the street.

After we talked over the Teriyaki Chicken I ran upstairs to take my second shower of the day. I washed this whole Monday out of my hair, literally and stepped back into my room. I was so exhausted that I collapsed on my bed as soon as I reached it. I wrapped my towel tighter around me and my eyes started to drift shut. I don't know how long I was out, but it couldn't have been that long since soon after, there was a knock at the door.

I heard my mom yell for me to get the door, while she was still half asleep. Work took a lot out of her. I pulled myself off the bed and down the first few stairs and over to the door. The knocking came again. I yanked the door open and _then _realized that I was still wearing nothing but a flimsy towel. And standing there at the door was none other then…

"Wow, way to dress up for me." The cocky smirk was placed firmly on his face as he tried to not stare at my half nakedness.

"Jacob." I growled with my teeth clench. I saw him swallow. Hard. "What could you possibly want?" I wrapped the towel against myself, tighter then before.

"Well, I went to Bella's but… Edward's there, so I decided that I'd come see what you're up to." He ran a giant hand through his spiky hair. I looked at my Mom sleeping on the couch and then waved him in. He took a step into our house and as soon as his heavy foot hit the floorboard, it squeaked. I shushed him and shut the door behind us. There was no way I was going to walk up the stairs in front of him in just a towel so I pointed him up the stairs and to the right, towards my room. He tried his best to walk quietly up the creaking stairs, but he's a big guy and it's probably hard to do that.

Once inside the room I silently shut the door. He stood in the middle of my room awkwardly, not knowing where to go or where to look. My room was fairly large but having him standing in it, made it look abnormally small.

"I'm not kidding when I say this. You have to be extremely quiet. My mom's a light sleeper." I pointed him towards my desk chair. He pulled it out and straddled it. I looked at him and rolled my eyes. Amusement clouded his dark brown eyes over as he looked me up and down. I mentally slapped myself when I realized I was still wearing the stupid towel.

"Oh, grow up." I snorted as I headed towards my dresser and pulled out the things that I needed. I heard him chuckle at my behalf and I rolled my eyes once again even though it was pointless. He couldn't see me do it.

"I'll be back in a second." I said as I stalked over to the door turning back to him slightly, "But you have a few rules to follow while I'm getting changed." He snorted and nodded impatiently. "First rule is; don't move. You're heavy and you'll make a lot of noise. Second; don't touch anything. Third; don't talk at all, even to yourself. Fourth; you even think about breaking those and you'll fly out that window," I made a point to tilt my chin in the direction of the partially open window. "Got it?"

"Sure, sure."

"You just broke number three." I smirked a sadistic smile at him and walked out of my room. What was I thinking? I'd just allowed him in my room. Technically I had to. I couldn't wake my mom up after she's had a long day at work, and I knew he wasn't going anywhere if I didn't talk to him.

My mind raced as I tried to get dressed as fast as possible. I didn't like the idea of him being alone in my room. I combed through my hair once and let it drip down my back because I couldn't have cared less. I walked back to my room in my yellow v-neck tee and black shorts.

I half expected him to be breaking the rules that I set but to my surprise, he was sitting in the same chair I left him in. Twiddling his thumbs. The sight of this big, muscular, good looking guy twiddling his thumbs almost made me burst out laughing. Almost.

Each time his thumbs passed one another I saw his muscles twitch slightly under his leather jacket. He had yet to look up at me, to even acknowledge that I was back in the room. I cleared my throat and he still didn't look up. I was becoming frustrated.

"You dead?" I asked as I sat down on my bed. The springs pushed against the sudden weight, making me bounce a little. He looked up through his thick eyelashes at me but still said nothing. "Suddenly mute?" Once again all I received was a look through his eyelashes. "Speak!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I'd be breaking one of your rules."

I scoffed and ran my hand down my arm that was showing early signs of Goosebumps. That was odd, because I hardly ever got Goosebumps. They just weren't natural to me. His eyes settled on my arm as I raked it up and down with the palm of my hand.

"Are you crazy? Walking around in shorts and a t-shirt in this weather?" He shook his head disapprovingly. "As a matter of fact, yes. I'm crazy. Psycho crazy actually. Bad idea for you to be near me. I might just have a breakdown." I added with no humor in my voice whatsoever. He grinned at me like I was the funniest thing ever.

"I could ask you the same thing Mr. I Walk Around In A Beater And Jeans." I nodded my head towards his own outfit. He smirked at me and plucked at his jacket, "I'm wearing leather. A jacket, you know? It's that thing that keeps you warm."

"No shit. I know what a jacket is." He responded with a smirk, baring his bright white teeth. They really made a good contrast against his russet skin color. No matter how much this guy got on my nerves, my breath hitched in my throat every time he even looked at me. I couldn't let myself get close to him though, his body was like a pit of fire. And heat only brought back bad memories.

"I have a question." His voice was low and uncertain and almost childlike. His face was void of every emotion, except one; curiosity. Pure curiosity. I motioned for him to go on. "Why…" He groaned, "I don't know how to get this out… Why'd you practically run away from me?" He glanced up at me with squinted eyes.

"I can't tell you that." My hands trembled in my lap as I spoke. Out of every question he could ask me, he asks one that needs me to reveal my past for him to even begin to understand. I wasn't ready to even tell Bella, my closest friend in Forks about my past, let alone him.

"Why not?" His voice raised slightly and I shushed him before he could get any louder. "Why can't you tell me?" His voice was lowered back down to a whisper.

"There are some things that I'm just not read… willing to share. That I don't want to share." I mumbled at my lap.

"What's that mean?" His voice wavered into a louder tone yet again but I didn't shush him this time. He was pushing me to the limit of my patience as far as my painful past goes. I groaned and laid back on my bed.

**Jacob POV**

I hadn't been able to stop thinking about the girl I'd met at Bella's that one Friday. She was… something else entirely and I was interested. For the first time in a long time I was interested in a girl other then Bella. In fact when I saw this girl sitting on Bella's couch for the first time, Bella rushed completely out of my head.

All I saw for the first ten minutes of being in the same room with her was her profile but I didn't matter. If she was that beautiful from the side, she must have been drop dead gorgeous full on. The monster inside of me wanted to reach out and touch her, and right when I had gotten that monster to hold back, she had to go and flip her hair over her shoulder, sending her scent my way. She smelled amazing. Better then Bells which is hard to do. It was a different smell, but amazing… just fucking amazing. The monster tried to claw its way out of me and just grab her and take her there, but both her and Bella probably wouldn't have been okay with that and I knew that I'd later regret it. The only thing was that she was avoiding looking at me at all costs. It was painful. I wanted to see her entire face but she wouldn't budge. I got Bella's attention behind the girls back and tried to ask her what the girls name was but Bella refused to tell me. I begged Bella silently to tell me the girls name, but the girl tensed as she realized we were talking behind her back. Bella nudged the girls tiny, pale arm and asked her to follow her to her room. To show her it or something.

I watched as the girl stood from her spot on the couch and follow behind Bella. The fucking monster practically had its tongue hanging out as I watched her climb up the stairs in her tight jeans. I was making myself sick because of the way I was ogling the girl. I knew I hadn't imprinted on her, but that didn't mean that I didn't want to sit at her feet and fulfill her every fantasy, if you catch my drift.

She was bringing out the worst, or the best depending how you look at it, side of me. For the first time, I wanted to phase for a different reason other then anger. A completely different reason. I was sure that if I stayed human when she came down those steps, it'd be a little more explicit then PG-13 from the waist down.

I nervously clicked through the channels as I tried to block out the whispered voices coming from Bella's room. Bella was doing it on purpose, telling the girl to whisper so I couldn't tell who's who. That was pissing me off to no extent. As I flipped through the channels I passed the Animal Planet channel. Me and the guys like to watch it and poke fun at our expense whenever wolves would come on.

Just my luck, there was a show about wolves. And just my bad luck, it was about wolves mating. I flipped the channel off and onto some football as I heard footsteps clunking down the stairs. I continued to stare at the screen like they weren't even two feet away from me. If I turned and looked at them, her. I was sure to get a little…excited. Bells cleared her throat and huffed a little clearly asking for my attention. I forced myself to look at them and smile. My eyes were supposed to go to Bella but the fucking little monster inside of me was out of control and my eyes darted over to the girl's.

She was like my wildest dream come true. I was right, like I knew I would be. She was fucking stunning from the front. There's no other way to describe her. Fucking stunning. That's all and so much more. Her light brown hair was pulled into a low ponytail that cascaded down her shoulder. The girl had absolutely no trace of makeup and she pulled it off. I'd never seen any other girl do that besides Bella.

Her perfect full lips were pursed as she looked back at me, careful not to make contact. I heard Bella say something about how I should leave so her and her friend could spend some quality time together. Like I was really going to leave without knowing who this girl was.

"I think we should all get to know each other." I shrugged Bella's hands off my shoulders and stuck my hand out for the girl to shake. I would have done anything by that point to just touch her. "Jake. You are?" Her gaze wavered from my hand, to my face, to my hand again. Then she put her little hand in mine and grasped it. I tightened mine around hers slightly just so I could feel her better. Her pale skin was freezing against the unbelievable high temperature that come from my skin. I saw her wince once her hand was in mine, no doubt feeling that fire that was my skin.

Suddenly she jerked her hand back from mine and rand for the door. I stood there with my hand still jutted out relishing the feel of her cold palm in mine. It felt good against my skin. It actually almost made me feel cold. That feeling faded seconds after she pulled away.

The next three days were hell. I couldn't get her off my mind and it was driving me fucking insane. I'd had dreams of her. I hallucinated touching her hand again. I felt like a creep. I'd met this girl once, she hadn't even said a word to me, and she was plaguing my every thought.

Monday, after school, I'd had enough. She'd been in my mind the whole day and I couldn't take much more. I at least had to know her name. I drove at full speed down the rode ignoring all the stares and middle fingers. I needed to talk to Bella, since she was the only one that I knew who was actually friends with the girl.

I sat in the Rabbit while I waited for Bells to pull up in her driveway. I slumped down in the seat and stretched my legs. I really was getting too big for this tiny ass thing. I heard, before I saw, Bella's red truck clunking down the road. Past her house. I stared at the back of her car as I realized that she was with someone else. Her. It was her in the fucking passenger seat.

I was about to drive down the street to follow them when I heard the truck pull back around. A few seconds later I saw it climbing up the hill. She glared at me when she saw me through her windshield. I climbed out of my car and rested against it until she parked and got outside herself.

She slung her bag over her shoulder, ignored me, and walked straight to her door.

"Real nice, Bells." I followed after her into the house and called after her. She flipped me the bird over her shoulder and flung her stuff onto the couch.

"What do you want?"

"I wanted to talk to you." She stalked into the kitchen and I followed. I picked up an apple that was sitting on the counter and dug into it. "About your friend." She scowled when I talked with food in my mouth. Like I gave a shit.

"About what?" She dug around in the fridge and pulled out some of the fish that her dad had stored in there. I thought we had a lot of fish. I was sadly mistaken.

"What's she like?"She started the stove and went back to the fridge looking for more condiments or something. I'm not really sure. I don't cook at all. Emily does that for all of us. Bella shot me a look over her shoulder and rolled her eyes."I'd know more about her if you hadn't interrupted Friday. Remember?" She growled at me. "So I can't answer your question Jake."

"Just tell me her name." I didn't want to sound too desperate but Bella was making me angry. I knew she knew at least a few things about the girl.

"No. You want to know about her, you can ask her. On your own time. Not when I'm hanging out with her."

"Bells can you at least tell me how old she is? So I don't feel like I'm wasting my time on some older chick who could care less." Her head snapped up from the stove and she stared at me in shock.

"Jacob… did you…imprint on her?" She stuttered. That really makes me feel good about myself. Every time I like a girl, well… never mind. I can't really say anything because the only girl I've like since I first phased has been Bella, but even then people kept asking me if I'd imprinted on her. Jeez, shape shifters can't just like people?

"No, Bella, I didn't imprint on her." I sighed and rubbed my face in my palms.

"Well… fine. She's almost 16." Bella answered as she flipped the fish in the pan. The scent of it washed over me and I sucked it in. She really did know how to cook. And it was making me fucking starving. "But Jake, judging from the way she ran away from you Friday, she's not interested. Besides, you wouldn't approve of her friends either. The Cullens already like her." She smirked at me in a condescending manor.

"She's friends with you. I approve of you. That's all that matters."

"Jacob, you know absolutely nothing about the girl and you're pursuing her? Get to know her first or something."

"I'm trying to get to know her but you aren't any help. And you're right. She did run away from me, so why would she want to talk?" I slammed my hand down on the counter making a small dent which earned me a smack on the back of my head.

"Don't go wolf on me, Jake." She laughed. "Charlie wouldn't be too happy to come home to a wolf in the kitchen."

"He'd deal."

"No. He'd shoot." She smacked my head with the spatula, getting grease on me. I growled at her and pawed the fucking slime off my face. Shit's nasty.

"I think you just don't want to help me 'cause you're jealous." I smirked and took another bite out of the apple. The scent of the food was making my mouth water and she wasn't nearly close to finishing.

"Jealous? Oh, please Jake. You kissed me and I hit you. Remember?" I smirked, pretending like I didn't believe one word coming out of her mouth. "Oh fine. You caught me. I just love you. Please, don't get over me. It would just tear my heart out to see my best friend actually find someone who could love him back." She sighed, "Is that what you wanted me to say?"

"Jeez, Bells. You have a boyfriend. What would he think if he heard you say that to me?"

I heard Charlie's cruiser pull up into the driveway. His footsteps neared the door and he creaked it open and stepped into the house. "Bells, you cooking?" He called as he hung up his gun.

"No, Dad. Sorry, I just bought the new fish scented Fabreeze." She rolled her eyes at her dad's question. I stifled a chuckle and shot the apple in the open trash can.

"Three points!" I yelled as it made it directly into the can without a sound.

Charlie walked into the kitchen and grinned when he saw me. I smirked. I knew it pissed Bella off that her dad likes me better then he likes Edward. I stood up and walked over to Charlie shaking his hand. He winced a little at the pressure I was applying to his hand, but he always said that a strong handshake is a good quality in a guy. Edward can't shake his hand like that. Not without gloves on anyway.

"Jacob Black. Look at you. You and Bells are friends again. That's nice to know," He patted my back and took my former place at the counter and inhaled the smell of the food.

"Smells good."

"Dad, I'm gonna head down to…," she shot me a look before finishing her sentence. "Our new neighbor's house after dinner. Is that ok?" Charlie nodded while still enjoying the scent of the food. He watched as she flipped the fish again and then he turned to me.

"You staying for dinner?"

"Sure, sure. That is, if that's ok with Bella." I shot her a pleading look, hoping to get some more information out of her during dinner. And I really wanted some of that food. She scowled but agreed.

Dinner was… a little tense. I spent the whole time glaring at Bella and inhaling my food down my throat. Charlie ate quietly asking me a question every once in awhile. Bella stared at her food. The whole fucking time. Not a word from her mouth. I don't understand why she just won't tell me about that girl.

Those bloodsuckers are fucking destroying her brain. She won't even help out a friend. That's bullshit.

Bella's chair scraped the floor as she slid out and emptied her plate into the sink. "Alright, well I'm gone. I'll be back around 8, Dad." She grabbed her coat and headed for the door. I took a chance and stood, she shot me a dirty looked. I had to force back the urge to growl at her.

"Well, it was good seeing you, Charlie. Bella." I saw her relieved face and hid my smirk as I walked out the door in front of her. I heard as she shut the door quietly, then I turned around. "Glad to see you don't mind me coming with you."

"Coming with me? Oh, no, no, no, no. Jake, you're gonna go home. Or back in there with Charlie. You're not coming with me." She shoved past me and started walking down the street.

"Come on. Don't walk it's freezing out. At least let me drive you down there."

Her eyebrows scrunched as she considered. Any other day I would have found that fucking cute, but with the way she was acting and that… model like girl down the street; I wasn't really feeling it. She nodded in defeat and made her way to my car. I smirked at her through the windshield and placed myself into the driver's seat. I practically sped down the street as fast as I could. I noticed Bella's grip on the door handle made her knuckles a yellowish white color. I laughed low enough that she couldn't hear me.

A halted to a stop in front of the light blue house that had the sold sign still propped up against the mailbox, so I kind of figured it was her house. Bella opened the door to get out, and so did I.

"What are you doing?" She spun around to glare at me. I just twirled my keys around my fingers and smiled.

"What's it look like? I'm coming in."

"No you're not. You're going home." She shook a finger at me and I smirked and stepped closer to the house. "Jacob! If you don't willingly get into that car, I'm going to La Push you into it myself."

"Good luck trying."

"Jacob, please. Go home." She ran a hand through her hair and groaned. She turned towards the house and walked up to the door. "Go!" She shouted from the stoop. I shook my head and smiled, leaning up against my car. "Fine! You'll only piss her off." She knocked and then slid the front door open and walked into the house. Leaving me to myself. For a few minutes at least.

I sighed, crossed my arms and waited. Then I heard it. Her angry footsteps stomping towards the door. Seconds later the door swung open and _she _came out and started yelling. I really had no clue what she was saying, so I answered with the usual responses and hoped that they worked. They did.

I was just listening to the sound of her voice as she basically told me off. Then she said something stupid about me wanting Bella. She turned away to walk back to the house and I stopped her. Telling her it would be pointless to go get Bells.

Eventually she got so pissed off that she went back inside anyway. Once the door was shut I lost it. I kicked at my car, leaving a huge fucking dent in the side and got in. I drove over to the woods and phased. I'm a fucking asshole. I probably just screwed everything up with this girl and it was killing me. She was the only other girl I felt like this about and that's saying something because I hardly even fucking know her.

I ran through the woods trying to calm myself down. I heard Seth's thoughts invade mine as I ran.

_Jake, dude, what's going on? _

I growled as I tried to ignore him but that kids fucking persistent. _Drop it Seth._

_Dude all I see is some girl. Did you imprint?_

_If I imprinted don't you think I'd be thinking about imprinting? Drop it!_

I heard Seth's whimper and felt kinda bad for the kid. He was only trying to help. But is it my fault that he likes to gossip like a chick? So much for Leah being his sister. Maybe he got the woman genes.

_Hey! I'm not girly. _He barked, literally. _But seriously, what's eating at you Jake?_

I debated whether or not to just phase back now and make a run for my car, or stick it out and either tell Seth or just plain ignore him.

_Her. _I showed him a picture of the girl. I heard him pant and that only ticked me off. He was _enjoying _looking at her. Then I heard it. And I freaked. I ran in the direction of Seth, not even caring that the kid didn't know any better. I saw his sandy brown fur and lunged at him.

_Jake! What the hell man? _

I bit down on his spine as he tried to paw me off of him. I wasn't taking any of his shit.

_Take it back! _

_Take what back? _

_Take back those thoughts! _I chewed the tip of his tail and he yelped. Serves him the fuck right.

_What? That I thought she was hot? _I pulled his leg in the opposite direction and he barked in pain. _Can you really blame me!? _I tugged again. _Fine! I'm sorry! I take it back!_

I released his leg and pulled away, ashamed of attacking him like that. I hadn't imprinted, so there's nothing that could back up these actions.

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Look, Seth… I'm sorry about that._

_It's alright. Just… for someone who hasn't imprinted you took that pretty badly man. _He dug his nose into his leg and licked at the wound.

_I just… Hell, I don't know. _

_I get it Jake. You like her. It's okay to like a girl._

_I hardly know her Seth. I don't even know her name and I'm reacting like this. It's sick. It's wrong… It…_

_It feels so right. Huh? Am I right? Is that what you were getting at? _He nudged me with his nose and I shoved him back. Harder then I should have but whatever. Kid can take it.

_I'm phasing back. I'll see you later Seth. Oh and… sorry. _With that I took off towards the edge of the road, back to my car and my clothes. I heard him laugh and say, _Nice choice though. She's really pretty. _I smiled, my tongue hanging out the side of my mouth. I guess that was better then his original thought; _Damn, she's hot. _And then an image of her in a dog catchers uniform and a whip. You can see why I lost it.

I quickly got dressed and turned my car on. I was gonna head back to Bella's and chill with Charlie if she wasn't there. I need to at least get this girl's name and I know some of the best ways to get Bella to tell it to me.

I pulled up into the driveway and I narrowed my eyes when I saw that stupid, silver car. I could smell that asshole bloodsucker and I didn't give a shit that he could read my mind because he has no reason to have anything against me anymore. _Do you hear that leech? I don't want your girl anymore. _I slammed on the breaks and got out of the car, leaving the keys in the ignition.

The door swung open before I was even close to it. Bella stood there with wide eyes and the pale leech behind her. He… for once wasn't as mad looking as I remember. Must have heard me.

"Jacob? I think you should…" Edward wrapped his arms around Bella's waist and before Friday, that would have killed me. Now, I didn't really care.

"Bells, I'm begging you. Just… talk to me for a minute." I was practically begging Edward with my thoughts to talk her into talking to me. The stupid tick just grinned at me.

"Jake, really. Not now." That's when I noticed it. A huge diamond ring on her left hand to go with the smiling leech behind her.

"I guess congrats are in order, huh?" I nodded towards the ring and tried to smile. How does a vampire get a girl but I can't? He's not even human!

"Neither are you, Jacob."

"Oh, get out of my head. I'm more human then you are and you know it." I looked back at my not so happy looking friend. "I guess I'll just leave you two to celebrate." _Don't crush her, leech. She's still my best friend whether you like it or not._

"Don't worry. That won't be happening tonight anyway." He smiled and shut the door. At least I know she's staying a virgin for awhile. I sat in my car thinking about what I should do next. I could either go back to La Push and get yelled at for attacking Seth or I could… hmm, yeah that'll work. I turned the keys in the ignition and started down the road stopping in front of the blue house. I took my chances and walked up to the door and knocked. From inside, I heard a tired mumble for someone to answer the door and sure enough a minute later, the door flew open. My eyes widened when _she _opened the door in nothing but a towel. A thin, short towel. Fuck.

I made a snide comment about her dressing up for me, she retaliated and asked me what I was doing standing in her doorway. I told her the truth. Then she pointed me upstairs, to her room. Goddamn. The girl's in a towel, wet, and telling me to get to her room. I looked around her room awkwardly trying to decide where to sit. She helped me out and pointed to a desk chair. I pulled it out, turned it around and straddled it. Then I took the chance to appreciate that she hadn't changed yet and wasn't freaking out about that."Oh, grow up." She grabbed some clothes and I was kind of disappointed that she was going to change. I was enjoying the towel. She gave me some ridiculous rules while she was changing and I decided to…follow them.

"Got it?" She headed for the door, I nodded.

"Sure, sure."

"You just broke number three." She smirked at me and left the room. I looked around for a few seconds taking in the fact that I'm sitting in her room. Her bed is just a few feet away from me, and there's the fact that she snuck me in. While she was in a towel, wet. Sorry, I just can't get over that fact. I looked down at my hands resting on the back of the chair and started playing with my thumbs. The door creaked open a few minutes later and she walked back in and sat on the bed.

"You dead?" I looked up at her through my eyelashes and didn't say anything. "Suddenly mute?" I did it again. "Speak!"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I'd be breaking one of your rules." I smirked at her and noticed that she looked a little… pissed.

I noticed the Goosebumps on her arms as she rubbed at them trying to get them to go away. I said something about her being crazy, walking around in shorts and a t-shirt. I mean the girl wasn't 108 degrees like I am. She said something about me being right about her being crazy, then asked me the same question, referring to jeans and beater. I decided to be smart and joke about the leather jacket I was wearing. Then I asked the one question that was bugging the shit out of me and she wouldn't answer me.

"Why not? Why can't you tell me?"

"There are some things that I'm just not read… willing to share. That I don't want to share."

"What's that mean?" She groaned and fell back onto her bed. That wasn't a smart idea. It only made me want to jump her right then and there and that probably wouldn't have been appreciated. But that's just a guess. I'd get something out of this girl before I left tonight.

_If I leave tonight…_Stop that.

Shit. I still don't know her name.


	3. Chapter 3

**I like to think of this as my celebration chapter. I just got done with midterms! Yay!**

**Please, please review, even if you don't like it. It would make my day.**

**Jacob POV (cont'd)**

She was still there, laying on her bed, looking tempting. The monster in me was telling me to suck it up, act like a man and just jump her. The gentleman in me, yes there is one, was telling me to stop staring and just accept the fact that she isn't mine to jump. No matter how much I wanted it. And that was a whole lot.

She hadn't answered my question yet and I was getting impatient. Her eyebrows were furrowed down into a little crease as she stared at the ceiling, tracing patterns with her eyes. Her long hair was spread around on her pillow, framing her face. There were spots on her shirt from the water that dripped out of her hair. If that shirt had been white, the monster would have won an the gentleman would be nothing but a figment of my imagination.

"Alright. I'll just… leave." I pushed myself from the chair and stood. She shot up from her position and stared at me, wide eyed. She paused for a minute and listened to something, probably to hear if her mother was awake. She wasn't. Her breathing was even and the TV was turned off. I wasn't about to tell her that though. Normal ears wouldn't have heard it.

"You can't just walk downstairs. My mom's a light sleeper. I already told you that." She launched herself from her bed and over to the window, peeking outside. "There's no way you could make it down those steps without her hearing." It took a whole hell of a lot of willpower to not stare at her ass.

I was kind of proud of myself.

"Ok, how do you suppose I leave then?" I walked closer to her, whispering. She flinched away from me as I gained on her. I don't get it. She peered back out the window, pushing the curtains aside and then opening it. Her gaze went back to me and she pointed towards the open window with her jaw.

"Are you serious? You want me to jump out the fucking window?" I whispered harshly to her. It's not that I've never jumped out of a window before. No, I've done so many times you'd be surprised. It's just that when I jumped, it would make a whole hell of a lot more noise then it would if I just left through the door.

She nodded her head, making her hair flow around her shoulders. She smiled shyly and sucked on her bottom lip. Oh yeah. That wasn't tempting at all. "If you don't mind."

"I'm not jumping out of your window." I chuckled low enough so that she wouldn't hear and walked over to her bed and plopped down onto it; my arms crossed behind my head. I crossed my feet and smiled over at her. "Sleepover!"

"No, seriously. You have to leave. I have school tomorrow and I'm sure my Mom is bound to check on me. Oh and there's the little fact that uh… I hardly know you." She stood in what she probably thought was a dominate pose but she just looked like a stubborn five year old. I'd seen Claire use that with Quil before. And it worked.

"I have school too. Which means, I really need my rest. And, jeez, I'm so tired. I don't think I'm stable enough to drive all the way back to the rez." A yawned to make a point. It was extremely fake. I'd gotten all the sleep I needed yesterday and I hadn't really done any wolf stuff today, except for screwing up Seth.

"Go sleep in your car then." She used her foot to try and push my feet off her bed but they wouldn't budge obviously. She did have an unusual amount of strength for a girl her size though.

"I'd freeze to death. Do you want my dead body in a car in front of your house?" I lied. I wouldn't freeze. I'd be quite comfortable temperature wise.

"No you wouldn't. You're walking fire." She mumbled under her breath, not wanting me to hear. So, she'd noticed how unusually hot I was. I thought back to the one time she'd ever touched me. When she ran away after the contact with my skin. There was something there. "Come on, Jacob. You really can't stay here."

"How about I sleep on the floor? That way you get your bed and I don't have to drive all the way home at this time of night." I liked my best. It wasn't that late. I saw her contemplating things in her head. "I'll be gone before your mom even wakes up tomorrow." Which would be true even though I was going to skip school tomorrow. Everyone would just assume it's a wolf thing. I'd be seriously lying if I said we never used that to our advantage.

Her eyes rolled and she sighed. I really hoped that meant she was going to say yes. This is one of those times I wish I had the bloodsucker's ability to read minds. He had it easy.

"I swear if my mother finds you and I get in trouble for it…" She trailed off, not knowing which threat to use. That was all I needed though. A yes. I grinned at her and removed myself from her bed. She climbed into the spot that I'd just been in and grimaced.

"Nice, now it's too warm" She grumbled and laid down on top of the covers. Why the hell did she like the cold so much? It hardly made sense. She turned her head towards where I sat on the floor next to the bed. "You gonna just sit there? Do you sleep sitting up?" I shrugged and she rolled her eyes at me.

"I'll lie down when I'm ready. Or when my lovely host gives me something to… oh, I don't know… sleep on." I tugged at the pillow her head was on to give her an indication of what I wanted. I was merely fooling around though. I could care less if I slept on a bed of nails. I just wanted to keep talking to her.

Of course she flinched away from my hand being too close to her, but I was getting more familiar with her jerking away from my touch. She reached an arm over to the other side of the bed and grabbed a pillow, practically slamming it into my face. She grinned evilly. I kind of… liked it.

I took it from her and placed it on the ground. I glanced back over at her and saw that she'd taken her eyes off of me, much to my disappointment, and was staring at the ceiling again. I shook my head in amusement and then laid down myself, staring up at the ceiling with her. I found millions of questions of what I wanted to know about her floating around in my head.

She sighed and the clapped her hands, shutting off the lights. Nice.

A few minutes rolled by. Actually 14 minutes and 32 seconds. I know. I counted. I was getting restless and bored. "You sleeping?" I asked just loud enough for her to hear. She sighed before she answered.

"Yes." I suppressed a snort. Damn sarcasm.

"Sleep talker." She groaned and rolled over on her side to look down at me. Her hair fell over the side of the bed and tickled my hand. She was close enough now to get a really good whiff of her. Her scent was amazing. Far away it was enough to lure you in, but this close, she was hard to resist. I forced myself to not lurch up and grab her and kiss her hard on the mouth. And a few other things… I really have to stop thinking these things. But it was getting harder and harder. Literally and figuratively. If you get what I mean.

"What, Jake?" She called me Jake. That has never sounded better coming out of anyone's mouth. I no longer wanted anyone else to call me Jake. Just her. To everyone else it was Jacob and I planned on correcting everyone until that got that.

"I'm bored." That was stupid. 'I'm bored'? I couldn't think of anything better then that? I fucking fail at life. She scoffed and rolled onto her back again. I saw her lift her arms and clap on the lights again, then she rolled back over to look at me. "Then sleep."

"I can't. I have a question though." I looked up at her to see if she was listening to me. She was. "How do you know I'm not like… a serial killer?" She raised an eyebrow and smirked at me.

"How do you know I'm not?" And with that she rolled back over and clapped the lights off once again. "You can't just say that and then clap the lights off." I clapped my hands to turn them back on, then sat up so that we were eye level. She rolled her eyes and sighed. "I think we have a little bit to learn about each other before I can feel comfortable sleeping." I made a point of sounding like a little kid, but inside I was all post pubescent hormones. Her face was a few inches from mine. Her bright blue eyes were fixed on mine and I'll be damned if I don't imprint before the night is over.

"What do you want to know?" Her slightly cold breath tickled my face. It smelled spicy and flowery at the same time. I wanted to touch her translucent skin, but it would scare her. She didn't like my skin to be close to hers but she didn't seem to mind my face being only a few inches from hers.

"The basics." I shrugged my shoulders and waited for her to reply. She shut her eyes and I desperately tried not to take advantage of that situation. It would be so easy to just kiss her senseless right now. Her lids flashed open a few moments after and she started.

"Ok. I lived in Delaware my whole life up until last Friday. I'll be 16 August 28th and I'm a sophomore. I'm a vegetarian. Have been for five years. I'm allergic to cats. I hate the smell of Christmas trees. And gasoline. I don't have a favorite band. I like to many to decide. I cuss too much when I'm angry. In second grade I was expelled from my elementary school for kicking a kid in the balls. I'm a writer and an artist. I like photography. And I really like it here. It's absolutely freezing." She sucked in a huge gust of air and squeezed her eyes shut. I was expecting something more along the lines of, 'I'm Via and I'm 15. My favorite color is…My favorite food is… My astrological sign is…' But I wasn't complaining. The girl was deep. She kicked a 7 year old boy in the balls. She's got some to be able to do that.

"Your turn."

"You won't kick me in the balls if I say something you don't like, right?" That earned me a withering stare. "I kid. Let's see… You already know my name so… I'll be 17 in less then a month. I'm a sophomore at the school on the reservation. Oh, I'm part of the Quileute tribe. I like food. A lot. I like engineering. Unlike you, I cuss a lot even when I'm not mad. I've lived here my entire life. My mom died when I was younger. I have two sisters. I run a lot. And… I'm all out."

I rested my hand on the side of her bed, just an inch away from her stomach. She glanced down at it quickly but didn't move or say anything. Progress! I was tempted to test it and move it slightly so that it would look like it had accidentally brushed against her, but I didn't. It was too soon to try that.

Her mouth opened up into a little yawn and her breath washed over my face for the second time. It smelled just as good as the first time. I forced myself to lay back down on the floor, like the dog I am. "Go to sleep. You're tired." I clapped my hands and the lights flicked off. Moments later I heard her even breathing. 20 minutes later; I was gone.

**Via POV**

I woke up to the screaming of my alarm clock from across the room. Digging my face further into the pillow, I tossed a stuffed animal at the clock. No doubt I missed because the alarm kept on ringing in it's annoying, high pitched, scream. Finally I forced myself out of the bed and…froze. I crawled back over the mountain of green fabric and peeked over the edge.

He was gone.

Just like he said he'd be.

The only reminder that he'd even been here at all was the pillow I'd given him with a little note attached on it. I reached over the side of the bed and pulled to note to me, groaning as the side of the mattress pushed into my stomach.

"Via! Breakfast! Hurry up!" Bridget called to me from the kitchen. I set the note on my desk and headed for the stairs. It could wait to be read.

---

**Via POV (cont'd)**

My first week of school was not exactly as fun as I would have liked. Being a sophomore in almost all advanced classes, you were expected a lot from. The teachers had packed me with hours of homework each night that Bella was more then happy to help me with. With her help we finished what should have been about 5 hours of homework in about an hour and a half.

The only really entertaining thing about school was lunch time with Bella and the Cullens. Alice was practically a walking energy drink and Edward was enough of a gentleman to make up for the rest of the testosterone in the room. An added bonus was when that Mike Newton tried to ask me out in front of Alice when she was opening her locker and she 'accidentally' slammed the locker door in his face when it swung open. To say the least, I don't expect him to be talking to me again.

By the time Friday was over I was exhausted. Bella offered to come over and start with the homework I hadn't finished yet but I told her she deserved a break. Besides, I had all weekend. She asked again just to be polite but I could tell she was thankful that I told her to take the weekend off from helping a lowly sophomore. I knew she hadn't spent as much time with Edward as she would have liked in the past week, and what can I say? I'm one for romance.

Once I exited the cab of Bella's truck, I rushed into the house and up the stairs to my room. I planned on taking the longest nap ever.

I entered my room, swinging the door shut behind me. I shrugged my bag off of my shoulder and swung it up onto the desk, leaving it there while I changed.

As I changed my mind was wandering all over the place. The week had been fairly long and I was more tired then I'd ever been in my life, but my thoughts went on for miles. There was still a massive amount of work I had to make up. I had a project in English due; which reminded me to ask Edward what it was about, since I'd forgotten the concept of it. Thank God he was in my class and never minded telling me what I missed or didn't get.

Then I thought about how I hadn't taken any photos in a week. The last one being the beautiful green flowers at the park. Then my mind wondered to my old home, Delaware. What were my friends doing? Why had none of them contacted me since I moved? Then I felt myself getting angry. So much for best friends forever.

I barely noticed that I'd gotten done dressing as my thoughts continued to swoosh around my head. I let out a groan of frustration and went to my bag to grab my phone, which I hadn't had much use for since I moved because of all the packing and homework I've been doing. I pulled the bag off the desk and noticed a paper the fluttered to the ground.

I picked it up and set it back on the desk but it caught my attention again when I noticed my name written on one side in a messy scrawl. Then, for the first time since I got home my head went completely blank, then it was filled again. With one thought. One person.

I flipped the piece of paper open and read the contents.

_Nice sleepover, huh? First time you've ever had a guy spend the night? Bet you're glad it was me. Am I right?_

I rolled my eyes at the cockiness that even his writing had, but a small smile tugged at my lips. He was right about one thing. That was the first time a guy that wasn't related to me in any way, had spent the night.

_But seriously, thanks for letting me stay. And I'll tell you this; I liked getting to know you better but, I want to know more. Soon._

_I'll see you around, Via._

_- Jake_

_P.S. Your mom never found me, so there's no need to kick me in the balls, k?_

I found myself chuckling quietly at the last part. He was never going to let that go. I probably shouldn't have told him anything about it. I probably shouldn't have told him anything. I folded the piece of paper exactly the way it had been before I had opened it. It fell into it's comfortable position easily. Like the missing piece of a puzzle.

Shock, surprise, guilt, confusion and then more guilt and confusion flooded my mind. I wanted to see Jacob Black again. There was a feeling in my brain that was shouting at the top of its lungs for me to find a way to see him again. But Logic, who was inevitably stronger then Feeling seemed to tower above him and push him out of the way. I couldn't become friends or anything of the sort with Jacob. He was fire and I was ice. Polar opposites. He was, apparently, punishment for some type of ungodly sin I had made. What else would be the reason for his hand to burn me and bring back the painful memories of my father's death?

I collapsed into the desk chair that he had sat in just a few days ago. I swear I could feel some of the heat radiating off of the wood. Being around Jacob Black would be like stepping on a frozen lake, only to find out that what looked like a huge layer of ice; was only a thin sheet.

Hell, I hadn't even seen the guy since that night. Maybe he was bluffing in the letter and he wouldn't bother me any longer. Good. Then everything could go back to normal. No more bad memories.

I peeled myself off of the chair and made my way, slowly, over to my bed. Collapsing on it, I realized nothing felt better then the feeling of curling up on the slightly cold bed sheets and falling asleep. Nothing at all.

---

**Jacob POV**

Sam had me on double shifts for the rest of the week. He definitely knew something was wrong, but made sure not to think about it in wolf form. He deliberately changed his thoughts to things like Emily's scars or what he was going to eat at dinner that night. Stupid, pointless, random things. That wasn't like Sam at all. And it definitely wasn't the way for an Alpha to be behaving.

I was exhausted by the time I got home at 11 pm Friday. Embry had taken over my shift for me so I could get rest. I didn't feel like resting though. I wanted to see her so badly. It's been only four days and I was getting restless, or even more so.

I hadn't planned on leaving at the time that I did. I actually planned on getting some sleep in, but about 20 minutes after she fell asleep, I'd heard a howl from the woods and knew I had to check on it. Not wanting to leave without a goodbye, I'd taken a pen and paper from her desk and wrote as fast as I could, conveying the message that I wanted to see her again. Then I left, hoping she would read it when she woke up and would feel the same way.

Dad was sitting in the middle of the room watching a baseball game, or that's what it looked like from behind. He was probably listening for me, seeing as he turned around the second the door slammed shut.

"Jacob, I wasn't expecting you home this soon. Did Sam give your shifts to someone else?" He wheeled himself towards me as I lowered myself into the small, pleather couch. I groaned and shook my head no, striking up his curiosity.

"Embry took it for me." "Well…good. You need your rest kid. You haven't been to school all week." Yeah, play the father card Billy. I rolled my eyes at him. Like I'd been to school all that much in the past year. The teachers didn't care all that much. As long as we made up most of the work, we were good. We sat there, in the living room, for awhile in complete silence. Then Billy wheeled himself around and said his goodnights.

"Wait, Dad?" I called from my spot on the couch. He swiveled around and rolled closer. He must have massive muscles under that jacket he always wears. He could turn that wheelchair faster then anyone I'd ever seen using one. "I need…I want…Could you…Hell with it. I need some advice."

"Go on."

"How do you know when you imprint? I mean, I know from what Quil and Sam have told me but… How do you know for sure?"

His eyebrows raised almost into his hairline, "Do you think you've imprinted?" I shrugged. "Well Jake… You know I don't have any experience with this stuff. Do you feel the need to be around her all the time?"

Did I feel like I needed to be around her 24/7? I thought about my restlessness from having not seen her for a few days but I wasn't exactly forcing myself to stay away. It wasn't hard at all to stay away. But I desperately wanted to see her a whole lot.

I shrugged.

"I don't know. But…never mind Dad. False alarm. I'm going to sleep." I pushed myself off the couch and stumbled in my sleep deprivation to my room, crashing on the too small bed.

Hell, it's a fucking weekend. I'll be damned if I don't see or talk to her for another week. I don't think I could actually handle that. The stuff I'd heard about imprinting had nothing on this feeling. Imprinting makes you feel like you can't stay away; kind of makes it seem like it's forcing you to be with the imprintee. This feeling was… different. I could stay away on my own free will. But I didn't fucking want to.

A split second was all it took for me to get out the door. Billy was used to having me come and go so late, so he said absolutely nothing when I ran out of the house. He'd probably question what happened tomorrow, but I didn't care. I'd lie.

Making sure no one was around, I ran behind a tree, stripped down and phased. I picked the clothes up in my mouth and ran through the woods as fast as my legs would go. I got there about 5 minutes later. I phased back and quickly dressed before looking for the window she had wanted me to jump out four days ago. I found it on the left side of the house. Using my great house scaling techniques I skillfully climbed to the window without a problem. Fortunately, the roof was right under the window, giving me something to stand on.

Her curtains were open revealing her room, the lamp still on. I scanned around looking for her and found her form laying on top of her covers, shivering. I didn't like that at all. I pulled the window up as quietly as I could, making only one noise in the process, then proceeded to climb through it. Fucking creep.

I tiptoed towards her, and the closer I got, the more worry and anger consumed me. Her lips were a shocking shade of purple and her body was shaking violently at the shivers that ran through her. She needs to wear more clothes and sleep under a fucking blanket for Christ's sake. I know she said she likes the cold but this is fucking extreme.

I kneeled down besides her bed and looked at her sleeping face. Her teeth may have been chattering and her lips that ungodly shade of purple but she was beautiful. More beautiful then any fifteen year old girl should be. I sat there just staring at her before I couldn't take the chattering anymore.

I knew I shouldn't have, but I did. I reached my hand out and gently touched her face with my fingertips, loving the cold on my hand as I did. It felt just like that first time I'd shaken her hand. Her shaking noticeably decreased and her chattering was stopping. All from just the slight warmth from the tips of my fingers.

I carefully lowered the rest of my fingers on her cheek and watched as she relaxed more. Her body shifted but she kept her face where it was, obviously needing the heat. I took a chance by placing my whole hand on her face, my thumb under her jaw. She moved again, her face this time. I kept completely still, not wanting her to wake up. She didn't. Instead she snuggled her face into my palm and sighed. Yupp, that did wonders for the lower half of me. If I hadn't been looking at the Goosebumps on her arms I wouldn't have noticed how she brought her arm up, extremely slowly, and held onto my wrist with her hand. Her skin was as pale as the sheets on the pillow compared to me. Her hand was freezing cold, while mine was unreasonably hot. Opposites in ever fucking way but I didn't care. From that point on I was convinced she was the one made for me, and not because fucking imprinting told me that she was. I knew it. My body sure as hell knew it. And I wanted it to be true. And I was going to do my best to make it that way.


	4. Chapter 4

**I am so sorry for my absence! My computer's keyboard broke and it took two weeks to get back! I will never spill anything on my computer ever again.**

**Anyways, I was watching A Cinderella Story and I wanted Via to have that sort of bond that Rhonda and Sam have in the movie, so I went back and added it to this chapter. It IS important to the story so it wasn't just one of my random impulses.**

**Anways I've made you guys wait long enough for this chapter so I'll stop my author's note.**

**Via POV**

_I pawed my way through the pitch black room with a carefulness I didn't know I held. My fingernails scraped the floorboards with an awful noise that could have sent dogs running in the opposite direction. Where could I possibly be and was there a reason that I couldn't see anything?_

_Somewhere in the back of my mind I knew what I was looking for and I wanted to find it badly. So badly that it was more of a need then a want. I knew that as my hands scraped along the floor I would soon find it. _

_I pulled myself along the wooden floor with the anticipation, reaching out in every direction. Finally I grabbed onto familiar cloth; jeans. I clutched the fabric in my hands, unwilling to let it go. Underneath the fabric was the proverbial warmth that I was expecting. It felt like I was holding the world's most precious gem in the palm of my hands. I clutched harder onto the fabric only now I was clutching the hard skin and bone underneath the clothing too._

_A hand brushed against my cheek filling me with the warmth my hands were feeling, only this was hotter. Skin to skin contact. I shivered at the feeling. How could something I hate so much bring me so much comfort and… excitement? I longed to feel more. I pushed my cheek farther into the hand and sighed. At the contact the darkness of the room started to lighten. The more contact I had with the person, the lighter the room got. I racked my brain for who the person could possibly be, but I couldn't find anything. Then the hand was gone, the warmth gone with it. _

_No!_

_Come back!_

_I wanted to scream it, but my mouth would make no sound. I wanted to call out to the unknown person and beg them to come back to me. _

_Please…_

I jolted awake when the alarm clock vibrated with it's bell like sound. Straining myself, I reached over and slammed its button to shut it up. Saturday had never seemed like a better day for a much needed rest but I knew there was no way I was going to fall back asleep.

As I stretched my legs out I felt my heavy comforters pulled up around me. Why hadn't I noticed that before? I hadn't fallen asleep with them on, I know that for sure because not once since my father's death had I wanted to be warm at night. I must have, for some reason, pulled them on during the night which was odd, because I'd never done that either. I shook it off. My sleepwalking activities were the least of my worries.

Like clockwork, my stomach growled for food. I obliged to the feeling. I needed food fast. It felt like I hadn't eaten in days.

I slumped through the hallway, careful not to wake Bridget up. God knows she would never let me live that down. I dragged myself into the kitchen, hoping to find something edible, only to find absolutely nothing in the cabinets or the fridge. How I lived fifteen years with a mother who can't cook or have the decency to buy food beats me. I'd have to go get something to eat myself, and I was no drive-thru kind of girl. I needed a meal. A good old fashion meal. Not grease in paper.

I looked out the window into the foggy morning air and decided it was best if I put some jeans on and not walk around Forks in my shorts. Even thought that's what I would prefer. I was already new, I didn't want people to think I was crazy.

As soon as I was dressed I checked the phonebook, which wasn't hard seeing as it was an extremely tiny one at that, for the closest diner. Turns out it was only down the street, but who really wants to walk even that far when they're starving? Certainly not me. I listened quietly for the soft snoring sounds from my Mom and then grabbed her keys. Hopefully Chief Swan wasn't awake at this time in the morning. The last thing I need is for him to see me driving down the rode permit-less.

Thankfully Mom's little Eclipse started quietly and I had no problem backing out of the driveway. It was a damn good thing that I'd learned the drive earlier this year. Too bad I never actually had the time to go to the DMV and get a permit. But I liked the rush I was getting from doing something illegal. Not that I hadn't done this before at home.

As I drove down the skinny street I noticed how many people were actually walking around at this time in the morning. The only reason I was up was because I was still a little jet lagged. A week here and I'm already bored with this place. How do these people still have the energy to get up in the morning?

I pulled the Eclipse around the bend and the plain yellow letters on the green awning spelled out my destination; Carver Café. The tiny gray building was surrounded by the huge trees that could be found anywhere in Forks. I assumed it was one of the best places for breakfast seeing as it had a huge sign out front that read 'Breakfast All Day'.

I came to a halt in the small space allotted for a car to park and hopped out of the car. The bell on the door gave a pathetic ring that announced my entrance. One of the waitresses, a pretty black lady with short hair and a genuine smile, flocked to my side to offer her assistance.

"Alyvia Cort, am I right?" Her voice was soft and comforting giving me a feeling of déjà vu. Almost like I'd been here before. I nodded my answer and I'm sure my face was covered in confusion.

"Information travels fast here." She chuckled and led me to the counter; the seat right next to the cash register. I would have sat in a table had I chosen myself, but seeing as it would have made me feel lonely sitting by myself, I gladly took the seat. "Anything I can get you sweetheart?" She handed me a small menu from under the counter. I examined all of the breakfast plates and found myself unable to decide. All of it looked delicious. So delicious that my stomach started to rumble more then it had been earlier. The waitress looked at me in amusement as I scanned over the menu five more times before I decided.

"The pancakes, please?" I pointed to the picture and handed her back the menu. She smiled even wider, if that was possible, and yelled my order to the cook in the kitchen. I slumped down in my stool and placed my elbows up on the counter. The waitress, who's name was Ruthie according to her nametag, laughed a little when she saw my posture.

"What's a young girl like you doing up at this time on a Saturday?" She wiped the counter clean with a Handy Wipe and threw a questioning glance my way. I sighed and rubbed my face with my palm.

"I'm still suffering from jet lag. And to top it off I have this little problem with someone who won't leave me alone and it's just frustrating. I thought small towns were supposed to be peaceful and to tell you the truth, they really aren't."

Ruthie didn't look too scared from my outburst. In fact, she didn't look scared at all. There was no 'oh my God, the new girl is a freak' look on her face. She actually looked sympathetic.

"I know how you feel, sweets. In fact someone else went through all this recently too. I'm not sure if you know Bella Swan or not, but she eventually got into a nice rhythm as time went by."

"Oh, I know Bella. She's one of the people who were actually welcoming to me my first day here." Ruthie didn't show any signs of surprise at my friendship with Bella. "It's nice that her friends accepted me too. I don't feel that out of place I guess."

There was a ding from the kitchen and a shout of "Order's up!" from the man I assumed was the cook. Ruthie spun around to grab the plate and sat it in front of me. The stack of delicious smelling pancakes sat gracefully on top of one another, smothered in maple syrup. To top it off, whipped cream was sprayed into a little mountain on top of the stack. A little strawberry placed on the whipped cream, almost like a decoration. It looked almost too good to be real. Almost too good to eat, but my stomach begged for the pancakes and I was at no means to refuse.

"Ah, I'm guessing you mean the Cullens, right?" She poured me a small glass of milk as I downed the flapjacks faster then I'd ever eaten before. I was half afraid I was going to choke, but that was quickly getting pushed to the back of my mind as I shoveled more food into my mouth.

I let out a muffled 'yes' and continued eating. Ruthie grinned a little and walked to the end of the counter to grab an empty plate. She turned around to wash it off in the small silver sink behind her. After rinsing it off, she took a green towel and walked back over to where I was sitting, wiping off the excess water.

"Slow down, honey. You're gonna choke yourself." She laughed as I tried to swallow the mouthful of pancakes that were crammed into my mouth. This was one of those times where I wished my mouth was bigger. She handed my glass of milk to me while I struggled trying to get the pancakes swallowed. I practically downed the milk in the first gulp.

"They're really good." I was surprised that I was out of breath. I really should have taken smaller bites. "Probably the best I've had in… ever." I wiped my mouth clean of any remnants and let out a long sigh. I reached into my pants pocket to grab the money that I owed but was stopped by Ruthie's voice.

"Nope. This one's on the house. We'll consider it a welcome to Forks meal." I was about to insist that I pay but Ruthie's attention was called to the door when the little pathetic bell gave another weak ring. I turned slightly in my chair to see an older man in a wheelchair. He was definitely from the reservation and I wondered what he was doing coming all this way just for breakfast. Not that the reservation was all that far away or anything. Mom and I had passed it on the way to the house our first day here.

"Billy, look at you. You wheel yourself all the way here or is that son of yours around here somewhere?" Ruthie laughed as she walked over to Billy. He looked like the kind of guy that was warm and friendly with everyone. Someone you could feel at home with. Ruthie sure did.

"Is that boy ever with me anymore," he joked as he wheeled himself over to the table closest to the counter. "No, he dropped me off and went his own way. Charlie should be here soon anyways."

Ruthie grabbed a mug and the coffee pot and poured some for Billy. He smiled at her before taking a sip of it. "Damn good coffee, Ruth. Just like always."

Ruthie patted him on the back and walked back behind the counter to put the pot back under the coffee maker. She refilled my cup and left from behind the counter and stood besides me.

"Billy, this here is Alyvia Cort. Her and her mom just moved into the Johnson's old house." She put her arm around my shoulder and squeezed a little. I turned in my seat to face Billy and smiled. Billy wheeled himself towards me and stuck out his tanned hand.

"Nice to meet you." He shook my hand firmly and smiled. "You enjoying Forks?"

"I like the cold." I couldn't say yes without lying and I surely wasn't going to say no because he might get offended for some reason so I chose my words carefully. I figured my answer was good enough because his smile grew. I was always nervous when I met someone new but Billy's smile was familiar which was weird because it was such a distinct smile. The right side of his top lip hardly moved which made the smile look like a smirk and the smile itself was so big it looked like it took up his whole jaw line which wasn't at all an insult. It was a nice smile. Too familiar.

"It's nice to hear someone likes the cold." He let out a booming laugh and fixed his hat. "My son walks around here like we're in California. No jacket and everything. I see that's something you guys have in common." He gestured towards my sleeveless arms and chuckled. It was hard to not smile at this guy. It made me wonder how his son could possibly just split like that. If Billy was my father I'd want to spend 24/7 with him. Especially since the diner wasn't really wheelchair friendly. Wheelchair…

_Bridget guided me down the skinny, white hallway until we reached a wooden door with a tiny window in it. She squeezed both of my shoulders before turning the knob on the door. The door swung open with a little creak but that wasn't nearly as disturbing as what I saw before me._

_Dad was covered in white gauze and bandages. What little skin was showing was dark red with the burns from the fire. His long hair was burnt almost all the way off, making it look like he had a buzz cut. He wouldn't like that. Dad loved his hair. He always said it was his best feature and I was lucky because I inherited it. _

_Mom pulled the only chair up next to the bed and sat down slowly, never taking her eyes off of Dad. I stood still to the side of the doorway, not willing to move. I'd never seen Dad like this. He never showed vulnerability, and this was beyond vulnerability. It was scary seeing him like that. I jumped a little when the tall doctor dressed in scrubs came into the room with a clipboard in hand. _

"_Mrs. Cort?" He addressed Bridget as he walked farther into the room. Mom stood but didn't move from her place. "Do you want to discuss this outside and your daughter can spend some time with Aden?" There was no way that they were going to discuss anything without me present. I was old enough to handle the truth. "No. I want to know too." My voice sounded weak and pitiful even though I tried to put as much maturity and authority in it as possible._

"_Ok, well then. Aden's been in a coma for about 62 hours now and it's not looking any better. Uh, we have two possibilities as to what's going to happen in the future. Aden could pull through eventually but if that does happen he'd have to put his career behind him. His spine is seriously damaged and the contusions around the spine are severe, so if he were to wake up he'd spend his life in a wheelchair. The other possibility is… him not waking up from the coma."_

_I thought about how much Dad loved to hike and run and play sports with me outside. For him to never be able to do that ever again would be so hard on him, but I selfishly wished that he would wake up and spend the rest of his days in a wheelchair. As long as he was around nothing else mattered. Nothing._

I shook my head to come out of the flashback. I didn't need to relive that again.

"And you would never believe the size of the thing! I swear it was six feet long! It was a strain just to get that thing out of the water." Billy was talking animatedly to Ruthie as she sat in the seat in front of him, nodding and laughing at his exaggerations. She seemed to notice that I was back to reality and motioned for me to come sit with them. I complied.

"You think I'm lying Ruth, but you'll see one day when I come in here with a fish so big it'll knock you off your feet." Billy teased her as he poured a sugar packet into his coffee cup which I guessed Ruthie had refreshed, since it was steaming hot. "You have to be there to witness it, Alyvia. You can take the picture for me when Ruth is lying on the floor in shock."

I giggled quietly as they went back to bickering over the size of fish Billy usually caught. My attention was turned to the big window by the table. There staring back at me was the huge forest of trees, all covered in moss. It was strangely serene looking into the forest and I almost got lost in a daydream until I saw a flash of brown go behind one tree to another. I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and then reopened them and found nothing. My imagination was on the run again.

I barely noticed the door opening and Charlie walking in from outside. Crap. How was I going to leave with Charlie here? I couldn't just go outside and hop into the car and drive off. Luckily behind him was Bella. I sighed in relief. Easy, I'd just ask if Bella wanted to come over for awhile. She noticed me right away and smiled.

"Bella, nice to see you." Billy called as Bella shut the door behind her. She walked over and bent down to give him a hug then she sat in the chair across from me. Billy and Charlie shook hands and began to talk about the game that was on later. Ruthie rolled her eyes and laughed and went back to work behind the counter, grabbing some plates and giving the cook their regular orders.

"Found Carver's I see." Bella played with the broken bit of the table, blushing when she broke it a little more.

"I did and I have to say that the food is amazing." She nodded in agreement before stretching out her arms and back. She yawned, which made me yawn. I wondered what time it was. It had to still be early enough for Bella's yawn to be so big.

"8:30." She said as she glanced at the clock on the wall, almost like she could read my mind. She yawned again, but not big this time. I'd been here since 6, but I hardly noticed all that time go by. "What are you up to today?" She asked while tapping her fingers on the wood silently.

"A lot of zip, a little of zilch and a bunch of zero."

"Sounds fun. Bet you can't wait to start on that, but it'd be a lot more fun to suffer through a long day of shopping with me and Alice right?" I could hear the detest in her voice when she said 'shopping' and couldn't help but scoff at the word. I had a feeling I hated shopping as much as she did, but with Alice it had to be at least a little bit of fun, right?

---

This was not fun. This was not fun at all. Alice had me holed up in a dressing room with thousands of clothes spread around me. She literally had a stopwatch in her hand and gave me 3 minutes to change into each outfit before I had to come out and show her. Bella was sitting on the bench next to Alice with a smug smile on her face. She was glad she wasn't Alice's test dummy today and I could see why. I had seriously debated whether or not to throw a stiletto at Alice. The girl was crazy.

"Via, you have 25 seconds to get out here or I'm coming in." Her high pitched voice was the last thing I wanted to hear right then. Don't get me wrong, I loved Alice so much already but this was ridiculous. I wouldn't wear half of these clothes anyway.

"I'm coming in!" And before I could turn around she ripped the door open and marched into the already cramped space.

I couldn't help but think how pathetic I was. Alice was no more then 4'10". I stood approximately 9 inches taller then her and she still intimidated me. Her tiny hand was grabbing at the materials on me and pulled some areas tighter. Tighter then I would have liked, but I didn't dare say anything.

"I don't understand why you don't wear clothes like these. You have the body for them." I wanted to snort at her. I thought I was shaped like a boy, no curves, but Alice apparently didn't think so. She nodded appreciatively as she 'fixed' the clothes. "Yep, it's decided. You're getting them all." She gathered all the outfits that laid at our feet and walked out of the room. "Take that off and bring it to the cash register." Then she and the pile of clothes she held that stacked high above her head walked out of the dressing room area.

I looked over to Bella, who was still smug as ever and glared. "I can't afford all of that. How does she expect me to buy it all?" She practically burst out laughing, "She doesn't. She's buying it for you and if you even complain once… well if you think that this is bad just… don't complain." And with that she got up and walked out the same way Alice had just seconds before.

I sighed and threw the door shut, taking my time as I shed the ridiculously overpriced clothes and dressed in my normal attire. I kept my mouth shut just as Bella had advised.

---

Alice had finally agreed to stop shopping about four hours after buying me, what seemed like, everything in the store. Luckily Alice had met Bella and I at the mall, so I got to have some peace and quiet as I drove, illegally, down the road to my house. I had enough new clothes to last me for years.

I pulled into the driveway, forgetting about the clothes for then and made my way inside the house. Bridget had the heat on high and it knocked into me the second I opened the door.

"God, Bridge. Could it be any hotter in here?" She was curled up on the couch with a tissue box in her hand. She was obviously watching 'The Notebook'. This was her routine for that movie. She'd curl up on the couch with a pint of Ben and Jerry's and tissues at hand and cry her eyes out to the ending.

I placed the keys back in their holder and expected her to say something about how long I was gone. She had no problem with me driving without a license. She thought it was good practice for the future. Yeah, my guess is she'd stop saying that the second I crashed the car and get arrested for the whole no license thing.

"You're just a freak." She said through her tears. I laughed as I made my way upstairs, hoping to crash down and just lie in silence for awhile. I definitely needed the rest after the shopping trip, but I couldn't find it in me to sleep. I laid in my bed for a few minutes before deciding to head down to the park with my camera again. I grabbed Bridget's white jacket and ran out the door.

I took my time walking down the sidewalk that led to the entrance of the park. I felt no need to rush. Photography was an outlet for me. I don't even know how many rolls of films I've used over all the years of taking pictures. I hardly every used digital cameras unless I was in dire need of any sort of camera. Today was the first time I'd gotten Dad's old Pentax K1000 out of it's case since we've moved. I missed the sound of it's shutter as I got what would be a great shot out of it. The only thing new about it was the film and the strap that was fastened onto it and draped around my neck. The old one had broken and couldn't be replaced. It was nearly threads when it gave out. Luckily I managed to find one that looked exactly the same.

I glanced at the sky to see exactly what kind of lighting I would be dealing with and if I could possibly get any good shots today. It was unusually bright today. The first sunny day since I moved here. I smiled as some of the rays hit my skin making me feel warm without any actual heat.

I looked around the park, scoping for a spot to shoot, then I saw it. The perfect spot. The park had a river close by and to help get to the other side was a small stone bridge. It was perfect for getting a scenery shot. I took a step towards my destination and lurched forward only to be sent in the wrong direction because my food had caught onto an root that was sticking up from the ground. I fell down a tiny hill before coming to a stop. I'd landed behind a row of trees. How I hadn't hit one while rolling down the hill was beyond me. I grabbed for my camera to make sure it was alright but it wasn't around my neck. I searched for it frantically before finding it sitting upright a few feet away from me. I crawled towards it on my hands and knees and reached for it. Oddly enough it was positioned perfectly on the hill, facing a small opening in the trees with hundreds of tiny leaves covering the mossy ground.

I was not one to miss a perfect shot so I laid on my stomach and moved my head down to look through the lens. Perfect. I held the camera in place and snapped the picture. The flash didn't go off because of the lighting coming in through the clearing between the oak trees, but it didn't need to. The sound of the shutter was enough satisfaction for me.

I slowly realized I was still laying on the ground in a clean white jacket. I wasn't risking Bridget yelling at me for ruining her coat so I pulled myself up on my knees and brushed off the jacket. Once the camera was securely fastened around my neck again, I stood and began to walk towards the opening. I stalked towards the way I came into the park but stopped when something hit my calves.

I looked down to see a tiny, brown haired toddler. She gazed up at me with big brown eyes and a wide smile as she clung to my legs. I laughed and bent down to be eye level with her.

"Hey, what's you're name sweetie?" I sat crossed legged on the ground with the girl in front of me. She reached a hand up to tug at my ponytail, pulling my hair loose as she ran her tiny hands through it.

"Claire."

"Claire? That's a pretty name. Are you alone, Claire?" She giggled and pulled at a strand of my hair. She was absolutely adorable but I had no idea what to do if she was actually alone. Do I call the police?

"Quil!" She shouted in excitement. What does that mean? The bird? The pen? Where was I supposed to go off of that? "Quil?" She called in an impatient voice. I looked around in search of the bird that she wanted so badly. I didn't see any sign of one. "Quil!" She shrieked louder this time. Her gaze then turned to a tall, beefy guy running towards us.

"There you are." He called as he jogged his way over to us. "Claire, why'd you run away?" He scooped the little girl up into his arms and she looked microscopic compared to him. He tickled her stomach and she laughed loudly but then begged to be put down. He set her on the ground and told her not to run off again. She nodded and walked over to the tiny swing set.

"Hey, uh, thanks for not letting her get any farther." The guy said as he glanced back over at Claire, a small smile on his face as he watched her entertain herself. "She's a handful."

"It was no problem. I didn't actually stop her, she stopped herself. She grabbed me." I laughed and straightened out my jeans and jacket.

"I'm Quil." He didn't stick his hand out like most people did when they introduced themselves. It was kind of a relief. "You're the new girl right? Via?" My eyebrows creased over my eyes when he said my nickname instead of my actual name. Did he go to Forks High? He definitely looked like a part of the Quileute tribe, as did Claire. So how could he possibly know my name?

"How did you…,"

"Oh, jeez." The gruff voice behind me groaned, obviously unhappy with my presence and I knew that voice too well for my liking. I watched as Quil's face took on an amused expression and he backed away from me a little bit. My subconscious was telling me to turn around and see if it really was him that was there but I couldn't gain the will power to do so. "I swear I didn't know you were here."

I pressed my lips into a thin line and sighed, "I am though." I growled through my clenched teeth. I heard his feet shuffle through the grass as he got closer.

"I know. I'm kind of glad." His tone was oddly different from all the other time's I had talked to him. He sounded… sweet. I almost wanted to ask him to use that voice again, but I didn't. How weird would that have been?

"Yeah, but I was just leaving so you can go on with whatever it was that you were going to do before you knew I was here." I turned to shove past him but he stood in the way. I stepped to the left and he followed. I turn towards the right and he was there with me. "Are you serious?"

"I haven't seen you in a week. What's new?" I rolled my eyes at his generic question and didn't plan to answer.

The guy leaves a note for me saying that he wanted to see me again, soon and then he disappears for a week. Not to mention the last time that I saw him, he was spending the night. As much as I wanted to get away from him, I also didn't want to. I couldn't explain why if I had to because it didn't make sense.

"Mad?" I could practically see the smirk on his face but surprisingly enough there was no presence of one on his face when I finally looked up at him. His eyebrow was raised in curiosity as he gazed down at me. I snorted and turned in the opposite direction, walking towards the bridge I spotted earlier. I peeled the cover off the lens as I walked, readying myself to take a picture and preparing to use my flash as a weapon if needed. I knew he was directly behind me but I didn't stop. I was going to get the picture I originally planned on getting and he wasn't going to stop me by being a jerk. I positioned myself, carefully on the bridge, pulled my hair back into a ponytail and looked out into the trees that the small river vanished into and looked through the lens.

"Ah, so I get to see you at work." I sent a glare and then refocused on the subject at hand. The sun was moved slightly from the original spot it'd been in when I first arrived here but if I hurried I could still get a good enough shot. "Cool. Working women are attractive." I snorted at that. "What? At least I didn't say they're sexy or something. Give me some credit. I was being a gentleman there."

"Do you mind? I'd really like to take this picture before nighttime. Thanks." I looked through the lens but my mind wasn't in the picture. I felt self conscious standing there, doing one of my more personal activities, with him watching. I noticed that he flipped his phone around in between his hands. I noticed that he was leaning up against the side of the bridge. I noticed that he was tapping his foot slightly. I noticed that the wind brushed his hair slightly to the right. I noticed everything except for the one thing I needed to focus on; the shot.

"Go ahead." He flipped his phone open and held it up to his face, looking intently at the screen. The same time I heard my camera shutter, I heard a click from his phone. "Good shot. Really. Terrific." He grinned over at me and held the front of his phone out for me to look at. There, minimized on the screen, was me holding the camera up to my face, looking out, over the bridge. For a camera picture it really was pretty good.

"Now all I need is a number to go with that picture." He batted his eyes at me in an attempt to make me laugh. And strangely, I did.

**---**

**Just to make it clear, in case you didn't figure it out, Quil knew because it has been a week since they've seen each other so obviously they've all been in wolf form at one point. That's why Quil didn't shake her hand. And when Jacob says they haven't seen each other in a week he was lying obviously. He couldn't tell her he was in her room the night before.**

**Please review and I swear the next chapter will come up much faster now that my computer is back.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Via POV**

The sun was setting and the wind was picking up rapidly and I was still standing on the bridge with non other then Jacob Black. The wind whipped around the both of us sending various leaves to cling to our clothes, and in my case, my face. He found this absolutely hilarious until one of the crazed leaves slapped onto his cheek. He growled and peeled it off, throwing it back into the wind. He started to reach towards me to take the leaf off of my face but I recoiled and did it myself. No way was I going to let him touch me again, especially not on a more sensitive spot.

I found myself staring at him, not actually him, but the clothes he was wearing. Even though I enjoyed the cold it was actually kind of brutal out here with the wind added to the weather. And it didn't help that at nighttime it got even colder. He was wearing a thin, white t-shirt and jeans that had been cut into shorts. No jacket in view at all and here I was, the one who hated heat, wrapping my mom's jacket tighter around me. He raised an eyebrow at me when I was done ogling his clothes.

"Checking me out?" Even from just his voice I could tell there was a smirk present in his tone. There was no doubt that he thought I was appreciating his looks and I really, really doubt that he would believe the actual reason I was staring at him. "I'm kidding." He laughed quietly when he noticed the disgusted and worried look on my face.

I rolled my eyes at him and clutched the camera tighter in my hands. I leaned back against the cold stones of the bridge and stared at the sky, taking in the bright colors it was turning. He followed my example and did the same thing, except instead of looking at the sky he was focused intently on his phone. My stomach actually flipped when I realized that he was still on the picture he had taken of me. Instead of just standing there wondering why he was staring at the picture, I decided that I should really head home.

"Uh, this was just a load of fun standing here in silence but I should really get back home." I pushed myself off the ledge of the bridge and looked up at him. He quickly shut his phone and did the same, staring down at me. I gave a small smile as I walked towards my exit.

"I don't get a 'bye' or anything?" He called from behind me. His voice was daring me to turn back around. I knew that if I did as he wanted me to, there was no way he was going to let me leave. I stopped in my tracks and stood at the end of the bridge, debating whether or not I should keep walking or turn around. I didn't actually have a chance to make up my mind before I felt a warm breath of air coming from right behind me. "You're right. Don't say goodbye yet. You can save that for after I walk you home." And with that he was walking off the bridge.

I stared after him waiting to see when he would realize I wasn't following. "I changed my mind." I called after him. I don't know why I actually said that. It was the first thing that popped into my head. If he walked me home, he would delay my going inside as long as possible because for some reason this guy, that I hardly knew, liked to talk to me. "I want to stay a little longer."

He turned around and smiled at me, most likely thinking that it was because I didn't actually want to say goodbye to him. Actually it was quite the opposite. I wanted to walk home alone, take some time to myself and to think. The only reasoning I had in my head for telling him that I wanted to stay longer was the hopes that by the time I actually left he wouldn't walk me home.

"But only for a few more minutes." My mouth opened and those words came out without my permission. Where the hell had that come from? I never meant to say those words. A few more minutes would mean he would still most likely walk with me back to my house. That was not what I wanted. _Yes it is. _

He took a few steps closer to me. "Alright, so how about we walk really slowly then?"

"Okay."

When I got home, I was going to punish myself with a scorching hot shower and then I was going to make myself sleep in sweatpants and a sweatshirt and to top it off; sleep underneath the covers. That would make me learn to keep unwanted words down.

_They're not unwanted. _

I was going to drink hot chocolate too.

---

My shoes were soaking through to my sockless foot and I didn't necessarily enjoy the feeling. My toes curled inside my shoes as we walked through the grass, passing the unbearably cute scene of Quil and Claire playing on the swing set. Little Claire was sitting on Quil's lap as he swung them back and forth with his long legs. They were hardly moving because Quil looked scared to death to have Claire accidentally flying off of the swing.

"That's so cute. Is he her big brother?" I turned to Jacob, as I wondered out loud. He practically winced and then shook his head before turning to look down at me. A smile broke across his face. Maybe I had imagined the wince.

"Uh, yeah. For now."

"What?""Nevermind." He looked like he was trying to hold back laughter. I glared at him, just begging him to look down and explain what he thought was so hilarious about the joke he just made.

The wind started up again, blowing my hair out of it's ponytail and whipping it around my face furiously. It was like a massive pile of wires slapping my face. I growled as I tried to contain it with my hands but it wasn't working. The elastic was nowhere to be found and I wasn't about to put the hood on so that it could contain heat inside of me. I gave up, acknowledging my defeat, and let my hair whip me. I heard Jacob laughing at my misfortune and, I must have gone crazy, because I was laughing too. It really was ridiculous that my hair was beating me up pretty badly.

"Time for a haircut." I laughed as a piece of my hair ended up in my mouth. I spit it back out and made a face. No matter what kind of shampoo you use, your hair will never taste good.

"Nah. Besides, I don't think it'll let you cut it. It's a lot stronger then you." He laughed as I once again struggled to clam down my Medusa-like hair. I could practically hear the strands hissing at me.

I fought the urge to punch him on the arm, because that would mean feeling that heat. Instead I kicked some dirt as his leg. He laughed and kicked some back, but I dodged it and peaked through my hair at him. He looked…like a male model, for lack of a better description. The strong wind was making his t-shirt cling to his body in ways that should be illegal. And his hair, that was normally spiked up and out of his face, was laying on his forehead as the wind ran through it. His eyes were lit up and his big smile was displayed on his face, with teeth so white I though I would go blind after staring at them for a long amount of time.

He stared back at me, but luckily he could see my eyes ogling him and I was suddenly thankful my hair had wanted to misbehave. His eyes could place my own as he tried to look through my mess of hair. I felt a surge of heat rush up to my face and Goosebumps appeared on my arms underneath of my jacket. His smile faltered a little and he took a step towards me. I froze, not sure of what to do. I could hear Quil and Claire somewhere behind us but their noises seemed to fade with every step that Jacob took. He stopped a few inches before me, and he looked down. Normally this would have been intimidating but it wasn't. I looked up for a second before moving back and staring straight ahead.

"Home." It came out almost as quietly as the wind but I was sure he heard it because his gaze on me was broken and he nodded his head and turned in the direction of the exit. He called to Quil that he was walking with me back to my house.

"Fine with me. Bye, Via!" He waved his giant hand at me and I returned the gesture. He was sweet, watching over Claire and genuinely being nice to me. Now, if only _someone _else could be that way.

We made our way through the park, towards the exit. It was getting darker by the second and it was only about 6, and I was getting extremely hungry. I hadn't eaten since I left the diner earlier that morning. My stomach was making grumbling noises as Jacob and I walked on the sidewalk, him a few paces ahead of me. I tried to keep it quiet but it wasn't having any of that. It growled loud and fiercely and he heard it. Jacob turned his head to the side to look at me out of the corner of his eye. I narrowed my eyes at him and stuck my tongue out. He smirked and slowed down so that we were walking side by side.

The walk was completely silent, except for my stomach, and it was oddly annoying. Any other time he would have said something, but now when we were all alone, he's completely silent. I sighed loudly and stared at the ground as I walked. My shoes were scuffed up and the white rubber was turning a gray, almost black color. The fabric part was getting ripped and the logo sign was starting to peel off. I desperately needed a new pair of converse.

After what seemed like forever, and yet seemed like nothing at all, we were standing in front of my house. The driveway was empty except for all of the bags of clothes that Alice bought me earlier. The bags were scattered across the entire lawn and I was too busy staring at them with wide eyes to notice that Jake was standing by the front door with a note in his hand. I walked over to the stoop and grabbed the note without making any contact.

_Liv, next time you go shopping and decide to leave the bags in the car… don't. Love, Mom. PS. I've gone to do a little shopping of my own. Be back around 10. _

"She is unbelievable!" I shouted as I ripped the note up and tossed it into the wind, not really caring that I just littered. I turned to look at the stupid, stupid bags that were spilling out onto the grass. Alice will kill me if I ruin these clothes before I even get the chance to wear them. And believe me, I was not willing to go shopping with her any time soon.

I groaned and began to grab as many bags as I could carry, which wasn't very much. I never really did work out much and that meant my muscles were as toned as Jell-O. I was going to flip out on Bridget when she got home. I mean there was no reason she had to dump these bags all over the yard. I swear, the woman never became an adult. She'd probably blame it on the fact that because she had me when she was so young she felt more like a big sister. I'm more of an adult then she is.

"Need some help with that?" Jacob's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I realized how awkward he must have felt just standing there watching me run around the yard, like a madman, picking up bags. Very successfully might I add.

"No, you don't. Thanks for the offer but there's no need." I flipped my head so that my unruly hair was out of the way. "Actually I should just leave this for my mother to clean up when she gets home. Or maybe I should just call Alice and have her clean it up. Or maybe I should just get an incinerator and burn all of these stupid ass clothes!"

I gave up on picking up the bags and slumped down onto the cold grass, assuming that I looked like a five year old who got their toys taken away. I resisted the urge to lay on my stomach and bang my fists against the ground in frustration. The wetness on the ground was soaking through my pants, much like my shoes, and it was damn uncomfortable, but I couldn't move.

"Really, Via, if you let me help I can grab most of them and then Alice won't verbally bitch slap you for ruining the clothes she bought." I stood up and gathered some of the bags again. "I can do it. It'll just take me a few minutes." He bent down, and in what seemed like one second, he grabbed the rest of the bags and walked over to the front door. He opened it without any problem, though he did raise an eyebrow at the fact that it was unlocked. I wasn't surprised. It was Bridget after all. I huffed and shuffled in after him.

Inside, I dumped the bags on the floor by the stairs and wiped my brow. I looked over at Jacob only to see that he had absolutely no problem carrying all those bags. He was like Superman or someone equally as strong.

"Nice." He said as he looked around the living room. It was only then that I realized he'd never seen this part of my house. Hell, the only room he had seen was my bedroom. He walked slowly over to the couch and plopped down like he did it every day. I couldn't help but notice how at home he looked sitting there. It was almost as if I was dreaming this. Here, in my very own living room, was a guy that was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome and he was sitting here so nonchalantly. I watched as he grabbed the remote from the wooden table in front of him and flip the TV on. The noises filled the room but I was too engrossed in looking at him. It really was a shame that he was such an ass half the time, not to mention the fact that he was like hellfire, because I could have found myself being attracted to him.

"I'm hungry." He spoke loudly, breaking me out of my trance. He set the remote down and stood up, headed towards the kitchen. If the giant stove wasn't so shining obnoxiously, indicating that that was indeed the kitchen, I would have been freaked that he knew my house so well. Reluctantly, I followed closely behind him. He walked straight over to the stainless steel refrigerator and I had to keep the smile off of my face. He was in for a lovely surprise.

As he swung the door open I couldn't help but giggle. His face was absolutely priceless as he took in the fact that there was no food in there. Unless you count some batteries, but who knows Bridget's reason for those being in there.

"There's no food." He shut the doors and looked into the cabinets. Still, there was nothing to be found of course. I snickered as he began to look desperate. "Please, the Corts never have food." As sad as that fact is, it's true. Bridget is usually to busy working to go buy food and that leaves me to fend for myself. But since Mom works, that leaves me with no transportation, unless I wanted to take Dad's classic Firebird out of the garage and use that but there's no way that I could. No one has driven that since Dad. And I was not going to risk ruining it.

"How do you survive?" His face showed mock horror as he leaned against the granite counter. I'm not going to lie, the Johnsons had really fixed this place up when they had still lived here. Everything was practically new.

"Well, we use our womanly wiles to lure in unsuspecting men and then we became the cannibals that we are and… Let's just say _you _were very unsuspecting." I smirked at him and leaned back against the counter that was directly across from him. He quirked one eyebrow at me before feigning a scared expression.

"You're gonna eat me?" He gestured to himself and I noticed his double meaning. My eyes widened in realization and I'm sure a blush rushed up to my cheeks.

"You're sick. Besides, I'm a vegetarian, remember?" I pushed myself off of my elbows and walked over to the broken floorboard I found the day after we moved here and flipped it open to reveal my secret stash of food. "And there's the fact that…Damn it. She found it." I slammed the floorboard back down and stepped on it.

"You hide food in the floorboards?" He laughed, "Should I be afraid of falling into one of them?" He tapped his foot against the wood he was standing on, as if he was testing it.

"Don't worry, you would have fallen by now. You weigh, what? Like 200 pounds?" I gestured towards his muscular arms and raised my eyebrows.

He grinned at me before answering. "Hey, if I do, it's all muscle."

"Or fat." I looked up at him and grinned before sitting down at the kitchen table. He watched as I played with the cheap green fabric that we used for placemats. I used my hair as a curtain to block his eyes from my face. I felt myself wondering why he had chosen me to befriend. I get that I was the new girl, but surely there were tons of girls that had their eyes on him, and they were most likely more attractive then I was. But then again, why should I even worry about how attractive I am. It's not like anyone that looks like him would be interested in me like that and even if he was, there's no chance in hell that it would ever work. Not that I even wanted to find out if it would work or not.

We were both silent for I don't even know how long, and it was getting completely awkward. He was still in the same position he had been the whole time, while I had shifted uncomfortably every five seconds. I had gone from picking at the placemat, to playing with the laces on my shoes, back to the placemat.

"I'm still hungry." He mumbled, pouting like a little kid. He looked so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh at him. I knew it was the reaction that he wanted but he showed no signs of satisfaction from it. He continued to pout as he stuck his hands into his pockets.

"Well, what do you want me to do about that, Jake? Go grocery shopping?" I laughed at the thought of me and him actually shopping together. I looked at him from where I sat and saw that he had a sly smile on his face. "Oh, hell no. I'm not going to the grocery store right now. And, in case you haven't notice, we have no way of getting there." The smile on his face only grew larger and I could practically see the plan formulating inside his head.

"I have an idea!" He pushed himself off the counter and headed towards the door, shutting it behind him. I huffed and went back into the living room, taking the spot he'd been in earlier. Much to my satisfaction, there was absolutely no sign that he'd been there. Seconds later I heard a wheezing engine outside of the house. I rose to my feet and walked over to the window, pulled the curtains apart and looked out.

Jacob was leaning against the passenger seat door of Bella's truck, grinning at me. Damn it.

---

"I want those." He reached for the chips at the top of the shelf and tried to put them in the cart. I grabbed them before they could make it into the basket. "These are disgusting and I will not allow them in my house." I shoved them back onto a lower shelf and started to push the cart away. I jumped when something flew above my head and landed directly into the cart. Those stupid chips. I stopped and turned around with the offending object in my hands. "Are you serious? You're that desperate to get these?" I threw the fluorescent green bag back at him, making him flinch a little.

"They are delicious." He scoffed and tried to throw the bag back into the cart but I intercepted it. His eyes widened in shock and then he nodded with appreciation. "Good catch."

"Thanks. And it's still a 'no'. Let's check the nutrition facts, shall we?" I flipped the bag around until I found what I was looking for. "Do you know how many grams of fat are in these things?" I skimmed down the whole column, blanching at the fact that these were heart attacks waiting to happen. "And look at all that sodium. That's just gross."

"God forbid I eat chips, Via. I'm not a health food junkie like you are. I'm a junk food junkie." He reached to grab the bag back, but I wasn't done reading it. These things were horrendous. So many preservatives and fake flavoring. Nothing about this things were real.

"Say that five times fast." I hid the bag behind my back when he tried to reach for them again. "Sorry if I'm trying to keep you alive, Jake."

I stuffed the bag back onto the shelf while keeping my eyes on him. "Pick something else out and maybe I'll let you get it." He huffed like a five year old but followed after me without picking the bag back up. It amazed me that he listened but I'm starting to wonder if he's really hungry because my stomach has been roaring ferociously and his has been silent this whole time. And he wasn't helping with speeding this process up at all. He's been stopping in ever aisle asking if he could get something. It seems like there's nothing he won't eat, not that it's that surprising. The guy is huge.

I heard him mumbling behind me about starving to death and I swear that I heard him stomping his feet, but I chose to ignore that. It probably looked hilarious that this gigantic guy was slumping around like a kid. I couldn't contain my laughter anymore after I heard him say something about me being a 'meanie'. That just did it for me.

But my laughter didn't last very long when we rounded the corner only to find Larissa Mallory. I could practically feel a scowl form on my face as I saw her bleach blonde hair crisped straight. For some reason Larissa has had it out for me since the first day I saw her. She was a sophomore like me and from what I could tell she liked to think of herself as the most popular girl at school, which made me dislike her even more. Seriously, what the hell was she doing at a grocery store dressed in a mini skirt that showed more of her ass then I'd like to see. I was just about to turn back around when she looked my way. Only, she didn't stop at me, after she sent a glare my way her eyes traveled behind me and up. To Jacob.

A sinister smile grew on her face as she sauntered towards us, purposely swaying her hips. I felt my self grip the handle on the cart harder then necessary. I wanted to rip her pursed lips off of her face and throw them to a stray dog.

"Oh, my God. Alyvia! How nice to see you." Her nasally voice sent a sharp pierce down my spine. Her and her fake blue eyes glared at me while she put on a fake smile for, who I could assume was, Jacob.

"Yeah. Joy." I rolled my eyes and debated whether or not I should jam my cart into her stomach and watch her slink away. I decided it probably wasn't a good idea to get sent to jail.

"You're that guy that totally drove up to our school on your motorcycle, which by the way is totally hot, to talk to that Edward Cullen earlier this year, right?" He batted her eyelashes in an attempt to be sexy but in my opinion it was just a better reason to go get that stray dog.

I heard Jacob clear his throat before he answered with an 'mhm'. I was tempted to turn around and ask why he felt the need to clear his throat. Was he attracted to her? Did he have, I don't know, phlegm in his throat? But, should that really even matter to me? Yes. Because she was practically purring at him with me standing right there.

"I thought so." She giggled. "Ever since that day I've been wanting to get to know you more. How about we go talk," She turned her gaze to me and glared, "Somewhere more private?" I want to cut her.

"Nah. I'm good. Thanks for the offer." He put his hands next to mine on the cart, which meant that his arms were practically around me and I was cornered between his body and the shopping cart. He started to walk forward and, amazingly, my feet started to work and they moved with him, leaving Larissa behind us. But she didn't matter right then. All I could feel was the fire that was radiating off of him and even though we weren't touching, we were too close. As soon as we rounded the corner he backed away.

"Sorry, but I knew you didn't want to be there. And I had to do something since you weren't moving." He ran a large hand through his hair and stood, awkwardly, as far away from me as the aisle allowed. If he wasn't so goddamned hot I would have hugged him, because he looked like he needed one. And there was the added bonus that he just turned down Larissa.

"Don't be sorry," I found myself saying. "I'm glad you did something to get us out of there. I was going to enforce some violence if we stood there any longer." I mimicked his earlier movement and ran my hand through my hair, fisting it in my tangled locks and pulling slightly. "I don't like that girl at all."

"The Mallory's have it out for girls that are prettier then they are." He chuckled softly but I froze. He just called me pretty in comparison to the one sophomore that even seniors were going after. Ok, so I admit if the girl had one nice bone in her body I would have considered her pretty, not in the old fashion way but she's appealing to the opposite sex I guess. Hell, who am I kidding? Both her and her sister, Lauren, were almost super model potential. I just don't like the girl so I chose to pick her apart. It's not like we all haven't done that before.

How was I to respond to that though? 'Gee thanks, you're pretty too'? For some reason, I was pretty sure that wasn't the right thing to answer with. Instead I just offered a small smile and looked down at my feet. Grass stains on my jeans. Yeah, I was a real looker. I felt the awkwardness come closing in around us once again and I wasn't about to let it take over.

"So… what? You're not into the whole fake blonde, orange tan, Barbie doll thing she's got going?" I asked half teasing, but I really wanted to know the answer. His mouth broke out into a huge smile as he laughed at my question, before he shook his head.

"No. Not at all." He rubbed his chin and looked into my eyes. "I never though Barbie was hot. Actually, I was more of a Teresa kind of guy." I eyed him curiously. "I have two sisters. I know things."

"Well, you just earned a few points in my book for turning that carrot down." I smirked at him as I searched the aisle to see if there was anything I needed to add to the cart.

"Really? Hmm, so does that mean I can pick out something I can get?" His eyes were wide as he feigned innocence and I caved.

"Go get your chips."

---

After Jake unloaded all the bags, by himself, into the back of Bella's truck he joined me in the cab. He turned on the radio and my favorite song, 'Eclipse', by Pink Floyd was playing but I was too busy staring at the receipt to get into it. I noticed him mouthing the words that Roger Waters was belting out.

"Your death-in-a-bag cost me 7 bucks, Jacob. Seven." I glared at the side of his face, but couldn't hold it because I was mesmerized by the way his lips were moving. His face was flawless; his skin, his hair, his eyes, his mouth. I had a hard time believing he was real. He didn't answer me or even look over at me until the song was finished. And even then it was just a glance. What had changed since we left the grocery store?

A few minutes later we pulled up into my driveway and he parked the car and got out in one quick motion. Before I could even get out of the cab, he already had most of the bags in hand, leaving only two for me to carry. He was already opening the front door before I even picked up the second bag. I groaned and followed after him, kicking rocks out of my way as I went.

I wobbled into the kitchen and set the bags on the counter only to find Jacob stuffing his mouth with those seven dollar chips that he just had to have. And by the way, who charges seven bucks for chips? Either way, he looked a lot happier then he had in the car. Someone gets cranky when they're hungry.

I plopped down on the chair that was next to him and watched as he shoveled the too salty slices of overcooked potato. It looked like he didn't even stop to take a breath as he continued to eat. My stomach chose then to remind me that I was so hungry I could probably do the same thing. I reached for the bag and nearly fell out of the chair because he pulled it away so quickly.

"What do you think you're doing?" He asked as he clutched the bag closer to himself.

"I want a chip."

"You scolded me for 10 minutes straight about how unhealthy they were and now you want one? I think not." To add insult to injury he popped another chip into his mouth and chewed dramatically. I narrowed my eyes at him and reached for the bag again.

"I paid for those and I want to try one."

"I'll give you 10 bucks right now if you leave me and my chips alone." He pulled a ten out of his pocket and waved it in front of my face, tempting me to take it. But he was making this a game and it was a game I wasn't going to lose. Even if it meant having to cleanse my body for a week after I ate one of those nasty things.

"No bribes, mister. Give me a chip." I felt like an animal as I practically crawled across the table to reach for the bag, but I didn't care. I wanted one of those chips damn it.

He grinned at me before dumping some of the bag into his mouth and smiling at me. That was it. I lunged at him, not caring if I got burnt in the process. I pushed myself out of the chair and towards him. I felt a strange surge of excitement when I realized that I had shocked him with my sudden jump. My hand brushed against his shirt and I could feel the heat that was surging behind it. But I could also feel all of that pure muscle that hid beneath the surface too. He regained his composure and put the bag behind his back, daring me to reach for it. And I did just that. I grabbed onto his shirt with my right hand while I reached behind him with my left, getting used to the heat but still fighting back those hard memories that kept trying to bubble up over the surface. It was a lot easier then skin-to-skin contact though.

I pushed him, as much as I could, back against the wall making the arm that was holding the bag drop to his side because he didn't want to crush his precious chips. I took that as a chance to grab for the bag and he let me. I smiled in victory as I opened the bag and looked inside to find absolutely nothing. I looked back up at him, and realized the smug look that he had earlier was gone and he was staring at his shirt that was fisted in my hand. When he noticed I was staring at him, he looked up through his eyelashes and my heart nearly stopped. My stomach clenched and I backed away, letting go of his shirt. I dropped the bag back onto the table and sat in my former seat.

He sat down a second after me and drummed his fingers against the table, trying to get my attention. After I was sure that my blush had calmed down, I gave in a looked over at him.

"I'm still hungry." He smiled at me and I rolled my eyes. I silently thanked him for getting things back to normal. Or as normal as they could be after that little tirade.

"I'll make some popcorn, you go pick a movie. Sound good?" I asked as I stood up and headed towards the bags that still held the food we just bought. "Psh, just popcorn. _You _go pick out the movie and _I'll _get the food." I rolled my eyes and laughed quietly as I walked out of the room. I swear I heard 'amateur' as I left.

I might just steal that 10 dollar bill tonight. Just to irritate him. I'm no amateur.

Psh.

**---**

**Man, I cannot believe how long this took me to write and it's not even my longest chapter. That's really sad.**

**Well I gave you guys some contact there! Nothing major. Believe me, I was itching to write something more touchy feely but I couldn't because Via would not allow that yet. Sorry.**

**Please review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Via POV**

You know how in movies when they show guys eating, they show piles of food and by the end of the scene it's always almost completely finished off? Yeah, they really don't exaggerate. At all.

Five minutes after Jacob decided he would be the one to pick out food, we were sitting on the couch in the living room getting ready to watch the movie I picked out and we were surrounded by food products. Now, I know he's a big guy and guys as big as him could possibly eat a steak the size of the actual cow it came from, but this was ridiculous. I couldn't even see the screen over the various bags and cans he piled on the table. I'd need a shovel to clean up after this was over.

"When you said you'd pick out the food, I didn't realize you meant everything we just bought at the store."

I shifted through the bags before finding the one thing I'd bought for myself. Phish Food. Made by the only other men I ever really loved; Ben and Jerry. I saw his hand grab one of the many bags and rip it open in one swift movement. Jeez, it was a strain for me to even get the lid off the ice cream.

"No one ever said you had to eat all of it, V." He smirked at me before popping a pretzel in his mouth and crunching it obnoxiously. I narrowed my eyes at him before trying, once again, to peel the lid off of the pint sized cardboard cup. Jacob laughed at my pitiful attempt before holding out his hand.

I grimaced at the thought of my beloved Phish Food in his scorching hands. Yeah, right. Hand my ice cream over to him so that all the ice melts and the only thing left is the cream and the chunks of chocolate fish.

"I'm not a fire. I can handle ice cream." Damn, this guy was getting to know me too well. I have to hand it to him; he's unusually perceptive. I looked in desperation between his giant hand and my ice cream, deciding what to do. Eventually I just ended up placing the container in his hand and he pried it open with no problem. "Look, it didn't melt." He smirked at me while I grabbed it back, greedily.

"Surprise, surprise." I grabbed one of the spoons that he'd found somehow and plunged into the deliciousness that was Phish Food. Honestly, I really didn't care if I looked like a pig in front of him mostly because I was starving and he had quite the appetite himself."Are we gonna watch something or just eat?" I glanced at him as he talked. "Because I'd be cool with the just eating thing too."

I crunched down on one of the chocolate fish and grabbed the remote from the confines of the many bags that surrounded it. I pressed the play button and anxiously waited for the start screen to come up. Seconds later a giant picture of Amanda Bynes appeared on the screen and music played loudly as images of the movie appeared. I turned towards Jacob to see what his reactions was. Priceless.

"Seriously? _What A Girl Wants_? Is this payback for not letting you have any chips?"

I laughed and pressed the play button once again to start the movie. Yes, I had picked it because I really wanted to torture him to sit through a chick flick, but in all honesty this was a pretty classic movie. Amanda Bynes is hilarious, and Oliver James is pretty cute.

The credits started playing and I could hear Jake groaning next to me. He shifted in his spot as the pop music playing along with a fluttering butterfly on the screen. Sweet payback. He really should have given me a chip. A chip that I paid seven bucks for.

"Bet you wish you gave me a chip now. Huh, Jake?" I smirked, sat back and enjoyed the movie.

---

"Did he really just say that?"

I nearly burst out laughing at the sight of Jacob totally into the movie. He was leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring intently at the screen. He looked almost like a child sitting there like that, minus the fact that he was almost seven feet tall. His hair was still hanging down onto his forehead, grazing his eyebrows. Speaking of his eyebrows; they were scrunched together in concentration as he watched the movie.

"Who says 'yummy'?" He never took his eyes off the screen as he rubbed his chin with his hand. He looked so utterly confused as to why anyone would ever say that. It was endearing, actually.

"British people?" I popped a sour gummy worm into my mouth without even wondering when I bought those. Jacob most likely snuck them into the cart when I wasn't looking. Too bad they were some of my favorite candy, or else I would have been irked.

"That's… disgusting." He leaned back and rested his arms against the back of the couch, which made his hand come in close contact with my shoulder, although I didn't cringe away because of the earlier fight we had, I'd learned the only skin to skin contact could cause disturbing memories. I couldn't help but agree with him though. If any guy ever had the nerve to call me 'yummy' I think I would choke them out. I refused to let any guy think of me as food.

"Yeah well that guy's not exactly appealing." I held the gummy worm in between my teeth and stretched it out with my forefinger and thumb, making it snap in half.

He grinned mischievously at me before adding, "So you don't think it's hot when a guy calls you 'yummy'?" He wiggled his eyebrows and successfully made me laugh.

"You got me." I answered as I chewed the other half of the gummy worm. "I find it so hot when a guy refers to me with the same expression he would use when he eats his favorite meal." I rolled my eyes before turning back to the screen. I heard him laugh next to me, but he didn't look back at the screen as I had. I looked at him with my peripheral vision and found him looking at me with the same focus he had when he was watching Daphne at the debutante ball.

"Via?" His voice shocked me a little. It was rough and low and it made my heart beat faster. Why would he be using that voice? I didn't respond for a few moments because I knew I would have stuttered if I did.

"Yeah?" I turned my head toward him slowly and found his eyes with mine. We both stared at one another for what seemed like forever because he looked like he was searching for something, and I felt as if I was too but I wasn't sure as to what it was. After awhile he blinked his eyes. Hard and tightly. And then turned his gaze back to the TV.

"Never mind." I shrugged and turned back to the TV still feeling slightly confused, but within the next five minutes and Jacob trying to conceal his laughter at some parts of the movie, I was over it because apparently he was.

About another 20 minutes into the movie, we got to my personal favorite part, that Jacob felt the need to talk through the entire time, so I tortured him by rewinding until he finally shut up long enough to finish the scene.

Daphne and Ian were out on the lake in a tiny wooden boat and Ian was helping her become a poised, debutante. Obviously, Daphne succeeding and not falling into the lake would have been boring, as Jacob continuously reminded me, so of course she falls into the brown looking water, taking Ian with her. Seconds later they're both laying in the boat, the sun is giving off perfect like on Daphne's face and Ian speaks.

"_You know what I don't get?" _

"_What?"_

"_Why you're trying so hard to fit in, when you were born to stand out." _

And then they kiss.

Almost every time that part gets to me. It's just really sweet, and probably the least corniest way to get a girl to kiss you. Believe me, I've heard plenty worse things.

"He only said that so he could kiss her." Jacob's loud voice ruined the sentimental moment so I turned and scowled at him. He was staring at the screen with a blank look on his face.

"Well, yeah. It worked didn't it?"

"But still. She fell for that." I scoffed at his attitude towards wooing a girl. Obviously he's never done that before.

"Because it was sweet." I defended, my voice taking on a higher octave then normal. I would have kissed him after that… besides it's not like I expected any guy who wasn't in a movie or on a television show to actually say that kind of stuff to a girl, unless he was like… Romeo. All I was trying to get across was that it would be nice to find a guy like that, who would say that type of stuff to me. Ok, maybe not me, but certainly some girl. And now I sound ridiculous defending a fake person.

Realization dawned on him a few seconds after. "You'd kiss him after that. Wouldn't you?"

"No…Yes… ok, maybe. But so what?" I stood up and collected some of the bags off the table, not really in the mood to watch the rest of the movie now. "No guy would ever say anything remotely like that to me. So I'm not holding my breath." I walked around the table and into the kitchen, tossing the empty bags and placing the others in random cabinets.

"You never know, Via." I heard him call from the living room and I sighed. He was wrong. I was plain and boring. I wasn't outrageously fun like Daphne or an object of forbidden lust like Juliet. Hell, I wasn't even as pretty as half the girls that live in this Podunk town. I just wasn't anything special.

I groaned and sat down at the kitchen table and buried my face in my hands, trying to hide my frustration. A moment later, Jacob came in and sat next to me, not saying a word. I was grateful for that because he was giving me the chance to say something if I wanted to. But what would I say? I wasn't exactly going to blurt my feelings to him. That would put him in an awkward position. Actually, it would put us both in one.

So we just sat there for a few minutes in silence. Complete silence. And that was okay with me because it wasn't awkward. It was comfortable. I wasn't even sure what he was doing; let it be looking at me, staring at his feet, setting the house on fire and it didn't bother me.

"This hasn't exactly been my best day ever." I mumbled into my hands, half hoping that it was incoherent, until I remembered what Bella said about Jacob having good enough ears to hear us talking in normal voices all the way up in her room.

"Can't say I agree." I turned my head to find him smiling slightly at me. I raised a questioning eyebrow and waited for him to explain. "I got to know you better." And with that he stood up and walked over to the door. I followed suit and did the same. We both stood in the doorway, in close proximity, while I waited for him to say what he looked like he wanted to say.

"Listen, next Friday we're having a bonfire at First Beach. I want you to come." I was about to protest but he held up a hand to stop me. "Before you say no, just think about it. And even if you say no, I'm still gonna try to convince you to come." He smirked at that.

"Jake…""Via, just think about it. Okay?" I nodded and he smiled, leaving me standing in the doorway. He was halfway to the truck when I remembered. I pulled the door open and yelled out to him.

"How are you gonna get home?"

He turned around and smirked at me, "You'd be surprised."

---

Sunday was pretty much uneventful, except for the fact that I walked down to the diner again, only to be greeted by Ruthie, which was a pleasant surprise. I could easily tell that coming down to Carver's would be a consistent routine for me.

Bridget spent the entire day working, or so she says. I'm pretty sure she just spent that whole time looking at shoes online - at least that's what the internet history says. I love my mother but I swear she needs someone to constantly remind her to stay focused on her work, because otherwise we get ten boxes of Steve Madden shoes delivered to our house. She and Alice should really meet each other.

I wasn't too excited to get back to school on Monday, even though I'd finally finished the boatload of homework the teachers had assigned to me so that I could catch up. Please. The stuff we were working on, even the advanced classes, I'd learned a year ago. It was like refreshing my memory. Not that I was complaining, all that much, because this would just further my chances at getting into an Ivy League college. Hopefully Princeton or Brown.

So here I was getting up at 6:30 am to shower and get ready for school. The jetlag was slowly, but surely, wearing off and I was becoming less and less of a morning person then I already was. I'd finished towel drying my hair and pulled it back into a low ponytail while decided on what to wear - a green v-neck shirt with dark washed skinny jeans. No jacket. Bridget had already left, so there were no 'good-byes' before I left.

I wasn't in the mood to eat so I grabbed my backpack and cell phone, which had finally decided to work again, and walked out the front door to wait for Bella, my ride to school. As soon as I heard her rickety truck make it's way down the road my thoughts flashed back to the last time I'd been in her truck. With Jacob. And then my mind replayed what had go on in the kitchen between him and I, and then soon enough my mind was going over the invitation to the bonfire at First Beach. My thoughts were broken when Bella yelled out for me to get in the cab with her. I picked up my bag, slung it over one shoulder and hopped in.

"Ready for another week as a Spartan?" She asked, keeping her eyes on the rode like the police chief's daughter that she was. I looked at her hands that were grasping the wheel tightly as she made a sharp turn. On her right hand was a gold band to a ring. Only the ring was flipped around to hide the diamond, or gem or whatever was on the ring.

"I guess. It's not like I have a choice." I gave a quiet laugh as I looked out the window. I could tell she was dying to ask why Jacob had needed her truck at 7 o'clock at night. "Go ahead. Ask."

Her gaze turned to me and she smiled shyly. "So… what did he need my old bucket of rust for?"

I sighed before giving her the answer. I told her how we'd gone grocery shopping and we needed her truck because Bridget had taken the Eclipse to go on a shopping expedition, leaving us with no transportation. She had a small smile the whole time, and I wanted to scowl at her but she looked genuinely happy… for whatever reason.

"That must have been something," She replied as soon as I finished talking. "Shopping with Jacob Black. Did he make you buy everything he saw?" She laughed as she rounded the final corner, pulling into Forks High School's parking lot. I shook my head and laughed at the surprise she had in her eyes. "I only let him get one thing." I could see her imagining the look on Jake's face when I told him he wasn't allowed to get every junk food he wanted. She practically burst out laughing on the spot, but she kept herself contained as best as she could, only letting out two small giggles. I couldn't help but note that giggles coming out of Bella was… different. She didn't look like a giggler.

"I'd like to have seen that; someone telling Jacob he couldn't get food. You're lucky there was no violence." She pulled into a space and parked, turning off the massive roaring coming from the engine.

"Bella," I hadn't taken off my seat belt or made any move to leave yet. She, on the other hand, had taken off her seat belt and had been reaching for the handle on the door. She immediately stopped at the sound of her name and turned to face me with a curious look on her face.

"Yeah?"

"He asked me to go to the bonfire this weekend." I looked down at my thumbs that were battling each other. "At First Beach."

I heard her let an audible gasp of 'oh' out before she turned to face me completely, body and all. She set her bag down on the spot between us and bit her lip. Her eyebrows were furrowed together as she thought of something to say. I sat nervously in the passenger seat and waited.

"Okay… um… Are you not sure of whether to go or not?" I nodded once and played with my thumbs some more.

Bella was silent for awhile, I'm not sure how long, but I was really getting anxious. I wanted to know if Jacob's best friend thought I should go. I mean, she made it clear to him the first time he came over that he shouldn't bother me. She was so against having him come over that first day, pretty much calling him Bastard Of The Year, only to have told me he really was a sweet guy underneath it all. I was getting confused as to whether I should start carrying pepper spray around him or just letting my guard down - as much as I would let it anyways.

I stared nervously at my thumbs, my jeans, the piece of lint that was stuck to my jeans, my thumbs again and then I finally gained enough courage to look over at Bella who still hadn't spoken. I studied her features carefully, and silently wished that I could look like her. She was a different type of beautiful. She wasn't the kind of beautiful you'd use to describe Alice or supermodel's. Her lips were slightly too full for her jaw line and her eyebrows were a little darker then her hair, but she made up those flaws with her great cheekbones and chocolate brown eyes.

She raised her hand to her hair and pushed it out of her eyes, and I noticed a large scar on her wrist. It was paler then the rest of her skin and it raised above the skin, forming a circular bump that was placed almost all the way around her tiny wrist. I'd never noticed it before, but it looked like someone had bitten her. That would be a trip to explain to the doctor - _"What happened to your wrist?" "Oh, someone bit me."_

I felt my lips turn upwards at the thought. I wonder what really happened to make that scar become shaped like that. I probably shouldn't be so surprised though. I've heard many stories of Bella's clumsiness and I've even witnessed some of it already.

"I think you should go." I felt myself snap out of my silent rant and focused on what Bella was saying.

She thought I should go? So that means I should. Right? I knew that part of me wanted to go. Some of it was from curiosity - I wanted to know if all the Quileute boys were as tall and muscular as Jacob and Quil. I wanted to know if they all dressed like it was 100 degrees all the time. I wanted to know if they all felt like 100 degrees, but I knew I'd never test that one. Another part of me wanted to go because…because I wanted to… go to the beach. I wanted to stick my feet in the sand and relish in at the feeling of it. I wanted to walk by the ocean, talking about everything and anything with Jake. No, by myself. I wanted to sit with everyone by the fire, far enough away to not feel the heat, and listen to old Indian legends while laughing at the jokes Jacob tells me. No, that Quil tells to Claire. I don't want to go because Jacob Black will just so happen to be there.

"Really?" I cocked my head to the side and watched as she smiled at me - her teeth lighting up as the small amount of sun bounced off of them.

"Yeah. I mean, obviously you and Jacob are… acquaintances now and the rest of the tribe is pretty great. Billy will be there."

I thought back to the man I'd met at the diner. If he was anything like I remembered, I'd feel right at home. His personality reminded me so much of my dad that it was almost unbearable but in a way it was a pain I'd go through just to get a glimpse of what Dad was like. So maybe my memories of him wouldn't have to fade now that I was away from the one place that held so many of my memories of me and him.

"I might. Thanks Bella." She smiled at me, and grabbed her bag. I followed suit and we walked into school together like always. We went our separate ways only seconds before the bell rang. I inwardly sighed as I realized I had Spanish first. Not my strong point. I quickly walked to my locker, shoved unneeded books into it and pulled out my Spanish.

Senora Goff has stated that we could be, at the most, five minutes late for class, so I took my time. I wasn't in any hurry to get to the one class I had with Larissa. Especially after the grocery store run-in.

When I finally dragged myself into the classroom and trudged my way over to an open seat, I noticed that Larissa wasn't even there and I'd just made it for the five minute late mark. I gave a silent praise for my good luck and opened my text book to the correct page as Senora Goff started talking. I was jotting down notes as fast as possible when the door creaked open.

"¡Larissa, usted es con cinco minutos de retraso!" Senora Goff voiced loudly to the baked orange blonde. "¿Por qué?"

I watched as Larissa's face scrunched up in confusion. I mean, even I knew what that meant and I was so far getting a C minus in this class. And I've only been here for a week. What was her excuse?

"Well, Mrs. Goff, I was in the bathroom when -" Larissa was cut off by Senora Goff's hand. The blonde sighed in defeat when the teacher enforced the 'you must always speak Spanish in my class' rule. I nearly laughed as she struggled for the words.

"Um… Cuarto de baño…el clavo…rompió…" Senora Goff rolled her eyes and pointed to the only empty seat left. The one next to mine.

Larissa gave a fake smile to the middle aged teacher and pranced her way closer to me. Her smile only grew more when her eyes landed on me. I was bracing myself for the torture that was bound to come. She sat her tiny self into the chair next to me and popped her gum loudly. I was thankful that at least while Senora Goff is in the room with us, there is no way that Larissa could do anything completely evil to me.

"La clase, yo regresaré en unos pocos minutos." What the hell? No! The only thing that was keeping me from getting my head squished in between Larissa's claws of fury was leaving the room. What did I ever do to the Fates? Once Senora was gone from the classroom, Larissa turned towards me. "Wasn't it so weird that we ran into each other Saturday?" She twirled a fake blonde lock of hair around her skinny index finger as she chewed loudly on her bubble gum. The too-sweet smell was wafting around us, suffocating me. Something she probably wished she could do to me. Maybe that's why she was chewing the gum so hard. She wanted to be the one inflicting pain.

"The weirdest." I murmured under my breathe. She just giggled loudly and popped her gum again. I wanted to pop something and it wasn't gum. Why was she even talking to me?

"Alyvia, I cannot believe we haven't talked that much. You are so funny. We're gonna be best friends, I can already tell." I tuned her out after that. I wasn't going to be friends with this girl. Ever. She'd probably bleach my hair and douse me in Orange Glow because she'd think that it was self tanner. I sat silently and flipped through the pages of my Spanish book as Larissa prattled on about how we could go shopping and we could get makeovers together. Was she delusional?

"…And we could meet cute boys! I could hook you up with some totally hot seniors and you could hook me up with… I don't know… Jacob Black, maybe!" I whipped my head toward her and looked her in the eyes. "What do you think? You could right?" Her blue eyes shone with false friendliness and hope. I wanted to claw her eyes out. I wanted to rip her hair from her head and then shove it in her mouth to make her shut up. I wanted to throw some pants and a sweatshirt over her barely there clothes, because that seems like a worse punishment to give to her since she had something against wearing actual clothes.

"Alyvia? You could do it, right?" Her voice took on an edge as she grew impatient. I could feel my eyes narrowing at her and I felt a growl bubble up in the back of my throat.

"Gee, I would Larissa, but it might make things awkward seeing as he's already dating someone." I lied the best I could. Jacob was sorta, kinda, a little bit, my friend and he obviously didn't want Larissa pawing at him. I was doing this for him.

"Who?" She raised her voice louder then before, catching the attention of a few of our classmates. I could see the veins in her eyes getting redder and redder as she became angrier and more impatient.

"Me."

And that's when Larissa Mallory killed me.

Well, she looked like she wanted to and I have to say, it was pretty priceless to watch her orange cheeks drain from the fake color into what would have been her normal skin tone if she'd stop baking herself on high for 30 minutes.

"I don't believe that." She screeched at me, earning the rest of the other kids attentions. I smirked at her, trying my best to make my lies seem true and to keep my confidence at a higher level.

"Really, Larissa? Then why was he at the store with me? Why did he steer us away from you?"

Those red veins in her eyes popped at as her face changed colors again. She was like a chameleon. Her face flushed red and she stood from her seat to tower over me, like she was intimidating me. I laughed out loud thinking about how if I stood I'd still be four inches taller then her.

"You're a fucking liar, Alyvia Cort! He just feels sorry for you and I think you know it! He feels bad because you're the new girl who lives with her widowed mommy. He probably wants your mom. I've seen her. She's only what? Thirty? Wow, must have been one big whore to have a daughter at… how old? Fifteen? Or maybe that's why he's hanging out with you. He thinks you're easy because, hey! You're mom was!"

I could feel the tears start to sting my eyes. Is that what people have been thinking about me my whole life? That my mother was a whore and I was the same? Sure, my friends had always commented on how young and pretty Bridget was but none of them had ever ditched me to hang out with her. None of my guy friends have ever tried to flirt with her.

"What? Gonna go cry to daddy? Oh, wait. You can't. Because he's dead."

All I saw after that was red. Those words… those words struck a big fucking cord with me. She wasn't going to stand there and yell at me about stuff she didn't even know enough about. She wasn't going to call me and my mother a whore when I know for a fact that she's been screwing every guy she possibly could since the day she turned thirteen, when I was still a virgin and the only man my mother had been with in her life was my father.

I stood from my seat and towered over her. I barely registered the kids in the back gasp when I finally lost my cool. I looked down at her and watched as she tried to keep up her façade. She was hardly succeeding. "Shut. The. Fuck. Up." I said low enough so that only she could hear. I didn't need this to be a bigger scene then it already was, but leave it to Larissa to not back down when she could easily get her ass kicked. Dad was big into self defense.

"_C'mon kiddo! Show me that right hook." Dad pointed to his arm and urged me to hit it. I shook my head fiercely._

"_No, daddy. I don't want to hurt you." I giggled loudly as he picked me up and spun me around in circles. My overalls were too big and the straps were starting to fall down my arm. I wrapped my arms around Dad's neck and held on tight as he spun faster. _

"_You're not gonna hurt me, Aly-bear. I'm your old man. You could never hurt me. I'm indestructible." He set me down on the grass and repeated his earlier gesture. I lifted my fist and held it in a ball. Dad was quick to make sure that my thumb wasn't tucked. Then he proceeded to encourage me to punch him in his arm. _

_I closed my eyes tight and held my fist as still as I could. And then lunched it forward. I heard the loud sound of my fist colliding with skin and muscle and bones and for a minute I was ecstatic. I'd thrown my first punch! I opened my eyes to see Dad's expression but I couldn't find him. He wasn't kneeling in front of me like he had been seconds before. _

"_Daddy?" I heard him chuckle from the ground and I stared down at him. He was laying on his back with one hand against his cheek. _

"_You've got one heck of a punch for a five year old, Aly-bear." He sat up and tackled me softly to the ground and gave me a noogie. "Now, I want you to use that if anyone ever crosses the line with you. Got it?"_

"_Yes, Daddy."_

"If I don't? What are you gonna do to me, Alyvia?" Larissa glared up at me with as much hate as she could possibly muster in her eyes. I knew my own eyes mirrored her expression exactly and I heard the kids in my class start to chant that one word.

"_Fight! Fight! Fight! Fight!"_

I took one second to look around the room at my classmates. Should I really use Dad's advice right now? Was it worth it? And then one look back at Larissa answered my question. It was completely worth it.

I raised my fist without a sound and slammed it against her face, relishing in the high that was punching someone, when I heard a crack that was most likely her nose. The class cheered when there was some action and I could help but smirk as Larissa held onto her nose.

"Never say a word about my parents ever again." Senora Goff chose that minute to walk back into the classroom. I heard her loud gasp as she realized what had just happened between the two of us. I turned toward the teacher and braced myself for what was about to happen. I would most likely be getting a detention of suspension for what I just did, but I didn't care. I would tell the principal that I was provoked and she had started it. After all, it was self defense.

"Miss Cort, principal's office now. Miss Mallory, get yourself to the nurse and then you can visit the principal yourself."

Larissa stormed out of the room before Senora could even finish her sentence. I grabbed my stuff and started towards the door when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned around to look at Senora Goff.

"I don't blame you. I'd do that myself if I wasn't a teacher." She winked at me and I laughed as I headed out the door to the office.

---

Ok, so I'm now officially suspended for a week because the principal happens to be Chuck Mallory, Larissa's uncle. I personally thought that a week was ridiculous but all the appreciative looks I gained from the rest of the student population, excluding Lauren Mallory, made up for it. Even the staff members were smiling at me as I made my way to the exit.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice prance around the corner. She was dangling keys in the air. "I thought you'd need these after I heard you were suspended." She dropped the keys into my palm and patted it shut. "Keep my baby safe, would you? I don't need you to end up in jail for no license and have it towed." With that she skipped away to go to her next class. Her baby?

I walked out to the parking lot and clicked the unlock button. I thought I was dreaming when I saw the lights off a Porsche go off. A sleek, yellow Porsche. Is Alice crazy? This car is the most non-inconspicuous thing I've ever seen in my life. I'd very easily get caught in this, but I really had no other choice. I walked over to the car and slid into the drivers seat, clicking my seat belt. I placed the key in the ignition and stared the car up. It made close to no sound and it slid out of the parking space easily. As I was driving down the road to my house I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. I slowed and realized it was that flash of brown I'd seen at the diner on Saturday. I knew that seeing it twice in two completely different spots meant I had really seen it. I was hallucinating. As I crawled slowly down the road I noticed it again. And then a flash of white and gray.

Scared, confused and curious as hell, I sped up and raced home as fast as possible. I pulled into my driveway parking so that Alice could easily pull out when she came for her car, and ran inside as fast as possible. Whatever was in the woods, I wasn't going to be a victim to it.

I breathed in relief as I shut the door behind me. I walked a few steps into the living room but was interrupted by a knock on the door. I turned and made my way back to the door. Peeking out the window I was met with deep brown eyes. The brown eyes I'd become familiar with. I pulled the door open and was greeted with Jacob's smirking face.

"Home so soon? And with Alice's car?" He brushed past me and into the house. Nice to see you too. "What happened?"

"I probably should be asking you why you're here, but I probably don't want to know." I collapsed onto the couch and propped my feet up on the table. "I punched Larissa Mallory."

"Badass." He took a seat next to me and smiled. "Why?"

"Got into a fight because she asked me to hook her up with someone." Please, please don't ask who. I would rather jump off a cliff then to answer it.

"Who?" But that would have been no fun, right? I sighed and turned toward him, dejectedly. "You."

**---**

**Thoughts? Tell me whether or not you want the next chapter to be in Jacob's POV! Because I was just gonna do another VPOV but you decide!**

**REVIEW! Oh and if you could, please tell people about this story. Either I'm a really bad writer or other people are just overlooking this story because it's based around an OC.**


	7. Chapter 7

**You guys won! Another VPOV. Enjoy! Oh! BTW check out my profile; it's got a link to my LiveJournal and there you can see the pictures of the cast to my story and there will be updates put on there. Stuff like when I'm not gonna be around a computer and things like that.**

The look on Jacob's face was absolutely priceless, man I wish I had my camera or a mirror, just so he could see himself. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief from even considering the fact that I had punched a girl for wanted me to hook her up with him. Of course I wasn't going to tell him the other two reasons why I'd punched her. That would cause a plethora of embarrassment and pain on my part and I wasn't willing to admit that I'd said we were dating.

I waved my hand in front of his face to make sure he was still conscious to the world. He was, but he was being inhumanely still and silent. A first for him. I had a particularly hard time trying not to slap his face to get him to move. I was kind of worried but I had no desire whatsoever to get a third degree burn on my palm. As I was about to get up and retrieve a glass of water to splash in his face he stirred.

"You punched her because of me?" His eyes were penetrating mine so fiercely that I had to look away before they had the chance to burn mine out of their sockets. I ducked my eyes downward and nodded. He let out a low whistle and slightly relaxed in his seat. "Wow."

I was reduced to twiddling my thumbs - something I've been doing a lot lately. It was my turn to be speechless and I didn't like it at all. But the ball was in his court. It was a silent agreement between the both of us that he would be the first one to speak.

"You've seriously got balls, V." He then relaxed even farther into the couch. It was a welcome chance from the tenseness he had only seconds before. His eyes still held the look of confusion in them but they weren't baring into my soul like before. That's one of the things I like about Jacob Black. When put in an awkward situation he finds a way to make it more comfortable. Even if it is something like 'you've seriously got balls'.

"Yeah, well, I say you owe me some serious thanks for not letting Larissa crawl all over you." I smirked and dropped my feet off the table. "Want something to drink?" He nodded and I headed to the kitchen. Noises soon erupted from the TV speakers - football. I didn't even know it was football season. Then I heard a muttered 'rerun' and the channel changed. Guess it's not football season.

I headed back into the living room with the drinks and handed him one - careful not to touch skin. He flipped through the channels; finding nothing he liked, he turned it off with a huff. A few seconds later I heard an eruption of chuckles come from his mouth.

"What?" I scowled at him for laughing at me.

"I still can't believe you punched her," he laughed. "Did she cry?"

"No, but I broke her nose." I replied sheepishly.

He laughed while shaking his head. I could feel the vibrations of his laugh travel through the couch. His laughter was outrageously contagious and I found myself laughing alone with him. My small living room was echoing from our mirth that was slowly dieing down. I felt his eyes shift over to me as I wiped my eyes dry. That's the thing about laughing too hard; you're eyes start to water. If I was the type of girl that wore makeup, it'd be all over my face after a good laugh. I silently thanked my parents for my clear, no makeup needed to look decent, face.

I turned my face towards him, still laughing softly. His eyes were by far the most amazing things I'd ever seen. The dark brown was comforting, but not the only color that appeared in his irises. There was a dark orange that showed a passion for adventure. There was a lighter brown that showed he was outgoing and then there was black; a color that I'm sure took over completely when he gets angry.

"In all seriousness, what you did is pretty damn cool."

I felt the blood rush to my cheeks as they were tinted red with blush. I don't understand the big deal. I punched her. That's all. It's not like I'd found a cure for cancer - and yet his compliment made me feel extremely confident and pleased.

"Yeah, I'm the coolest." I smirked sarcastically. He laughed again and rolled his eyes. As I knocked back a gulp of my ice-cold water, Jacob quieted down.

"Sweet, so you got suspended for breaking plastic. How long?" I choked on my water at his joke and had a hard time swallowing. I noted that the iciness of the water burned as it slid, roughly, down my throat.

"A week." I rolled my eyes. I have less then a month of school left because I'd gotten here so late. I couldn't afford to be suspended for a week. Damn you, Larissa.

"Are you gonna get in trouble for it?" His voice was half mocking and half concerned. I shook my head no. Bridget would understand when I told her that Larissa was talking about Dad. But I, of course, wasn't going to tell her that Larissa had called us both whores. Larissa would probably have another broken bone to deal with.

On second thought…

"So… about -" He cut off and became unfathomably still and stiff. I stared at him with wide eyes before he shifted uncomfortably, staring obliviously at nothing. I tried to gain his attention by calling his name and he ignored it completely. His eyebrows furrowed and he stood abruptly.

"I'm gonna go." He stalked his way to the back door. His shoulders held tension and, I was right, the black does take over his eyes when he's angry. I almost felt scared to death just looking at them.

"What?" I chased after him and put myself between him and the door, wanting an explanation as to what I did that pissed him off so much. "What the hell did I do?" He groaned, a deep rumbled in the back of his throat, and ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. I could have sworn I saw him roll his eyes at me, which were still a piercing charcoal color. "You didn't do anything, Via. I just can't be here right now." I could tell he tried to keep the frustration and anger out of his voice, but he wasn't doing a good job at it. The emotions seeped through his teeth and shot out towards me and I knew I was staring at him with eyes full of questions. He saw it. "Via, trust me, you didn't do anything. I wouldn't leave right now if I didn't have to go. But I do."

He tried to brush past me but I stepped back in front of him. He stopped, noticing that if he had kept going; direct contact would have been initiated. I wanted to hug him for doing that.

"Why? What's making you leave?" I sounded desperate and I didn't like it. Why the hell was I begging him for an explanation? I knew I didn't do anything, he'd even said so. So why did I care that he had to leave?

I knew I was frustrating him to no end but I wanted to know, damn it.

"You have a-," He was cut off by the sound of my front door opening with a bang. I peered around his large frame to see what it was. "Visitor." He mumbled almost incoherently. He stepped to the side so that I had a clear shot of little Alice sprinting across my living room yelling - oh no.

"Alyvia Cort, why in the freakishly large world did you not tell me that you and," she gestured towards Jacob, "that, were dating?" Her tiny nose scrunched up as she sniffed at the air. She looked pointedly towards Jacob and spoke, "I see you still smell." She smirked at him and grabbed my wrist with her small, cold hand and pulled me towards the couch.

"Why would you not tell me? The whole school knew before I did. Bella is practically hyperventilating." She patted my arm. "Are you ashamed of dating him?" I could hear the pleasure in her voice as she turned her gaze to Jacob who stood in the same place by the back door. His eyes had turned into a dull grayish-brown and they were practically bugging out of his head.

So… Larissa had decided to go and tell everyone. Why? I had no idea. Maybe her broken nose has caused some minor injuries in her head. I've heard that can happen…

"Via?" Alice's golden eyes were staring into mine trying to get me to communicate. Her little pale hand was still on my arm, not that it bothered me, feeling like a block of ice. I blinked twice at her and a small smile appeared on her delicate face.

"You aren't going to talk are you?" She nodded my answer for me and she jumped up from the couch, dancing over to Jacob. I nearly laughed at the sight of Alice next to him. He was over two feet taller then her and I felt like I was at the circus, watching a ventriloquist with his dummy, or a tightrope walker and the guy on stilts. Either way, it was hilariously funny. Day and Night standing next to each other. Fire and Ice. Beautiful and Handsome.

"I'll be leaving now. Jacob, would you like a hug before I go?" She smirked up at him and watched as he finally showed some reaction - he grimaced at her. She poked his arm with her small finger and pranced away towards the door, reminding me that she'd be back when he was gone. And somehow I knew she was right. Those Cullens get away with everything. I didn't even want to know what she did to get out of school.

I took a chance and glanced over at Jacob who was still semi frozen in place. I reminded myself to thank Alice for making everything completely awkward, and I prayed that Jacob would be consistent in making this tension disappear. I swallowed hard, and scratched my temple, moving my hair out of the way. It was getting way to crowded in this house. I heard the shuffling of Jacob's large feet and squeezed my eyes shut. It was my turn. I knew it. He'd broken every awkward moment between us ever since we met, which was starting to seem like such a long time ago.

"I guess I should tell you the entire story, right?" I faced forward the entire time I spoke, but I could tell that he nodded. So I began.

"I wanted to see the look on her face. Honestly, I wasn't even planning on telling her that. She was just so fake and I wanted her to drop the act… so I told her something she didn't want to hear. And I'm sorry that I dragged you into that. She just got so angry and she was just saying all this stuff about how you would never choose me over her, so I challenged her and then she got even more pissed off. She called me and my mother whores, so I told her to shut the fuck up. And then she had the nerve to talk about my fath-. She just said something that really fucking pissed me off and I punched her and that's it. I'll spare you the unneeded details."

I gasped for air after blurting out the story. I buried my face deep into my hands and tried to think of something entirely different. I felt like crying. I felt like such an idiot for telling Larissa that me and Jacob were dating. That wasn't something I would do. It's something some petty, jealous girl would do. I wasn't like that. Dad would be so disappointed in me right now and I'm torn. He'd raised me to know that lying should never be the first choice, but I had to. For some reason my gut was telling me to. And then I found myself getting angry with my dad. He lied to me. He lied. I'm indestructible. No! No you fucking weren't, Dad. Images were running through my mind; Dad eating a doughnut and smiling at me before heading off to work that morning. The phone call. The doctors. The tubes and wires sticking out of his arms and nose and mouth. The red. The burn marks. The picture of his car. The casket. The tombstone.

I rose from my spot on the couch and kicked the table, sending it flying to the floor. I heard the crack of wood but didn't care. I was having a tantrum like a child but I was relishing in the feeling of letting it go for the first time in my life. I was only mildly aware that Jacob was standing there witnessing this. I didn't care that I had millions of tears running down my cheeks. I didn't fucking care!

I cussed, loudly, and banged my fist against the wall, leaving a small dent and my hand throbbing. I turned so that my back was pressed against the wall. I slid, slowly, down the wall and curled my arms around my legs, pulling them close to me. I was a tiny ball of tears and pain. I rocked myself back and forth, feeling like a bug in my fetal position.

The tears were falling so hard and fast, that it almost hurt for them to drip out of my eyes. They were hot tears too; burning little paths of fire down my cheeks. I wanted to gouge my tear ducts out just to make it stop.

"She's wrong."

I heard his voice float over to me from the other side of the room. It was soft and sweet like a caress and it was enough to almost stop the tears fully. I lifted my head, only a little, to see where he was. I felt bad for making him watch my freak out. He was standing only a few paces away from where he stood earlier and I knew he had the perfect view of me because of his height.

"I would choose you over her any day. No competition." He smiled softly at me, but that wasn't what captured my attention. His eyes - surprise, surprise - were. They were that soft brown. Pools of comfort.

"Even now? After you've seen me freak out like a wild animal?" My voice was groggy and scratchy and it made me wince just hearing it. "Even now that I'm sitting her drowned by my own tears? You'd still choose this over Larissa Mallory 'any day'?"

I swiped at my eyes with the back of my left hand and sniffed. I knew that my face was blotchy and red from being so upset, but if he hadn't run away from looking at this, me at my worst, nothing was going to scare him away.

"Any day." He confirmed and walked towards me, slowly, as if I would cower back into the fetal position at any moment - which was a smart choice on his part because I wasn't even sure myself. "Let's go for a walk." I looked up at him and nodded. I uncurled my legs and stood. He walked in front of me and pulled the door open, gesturing for me to go out before him. It was sweet and exactly what I needed at the moment. For once, I was the one that someone took care of.

Outside it was like any other day in Forks. The wind was whipping gently through my hair, tangling it but not as badly as the day at the park. Jacob's hands were shoved into his pockets and he squinted at the view in front of us, leaving us in silence. I didn't need silence right now. I needed to finally let everything go. I'd given him the preview already with my little freak out. And he was being so patient. It was time to lay it on the table. I had a feeling if anyone could relate to me right now, it's him.

"Um, Jacob?" I stared straight ahead like he was, matching him stride for stride.

"Hmm?"

"Your… your mom. Can you tell me about her?" He sighed and shoved his hands deeper into his pockets. That was so stupid of me to even ask that. But I was one of those people who needed someone else to lead me into what I need to say. I almost took it back before he started to speak.

"Sarah." He said quietly. "Her name was Sarah and I don't know too much about her. I was young - too young to lose my mom, but it happened. I can tell you what I do remember though. She was beautiful. My dad likes to joke around about how he can't believe someone like her would choose him." He chuckled softly at that. "Her and my dad were out for a drive one night and… he came home but she didn't. My sisters can't even stand being in the house anymore because it reminds them of her. But they aren't the ones who get told constantly that they look like her. I do. And I feel like that's the only part that I've got left of her." He sighed and then looked down at me with a tiny smile. "I guess I'm kind of lucky in that though."

I nodded. I wasn't sure if I considered him lucky or unfortunate for never knowing his mom in a way that I knew my dad. In a way, he was lucky. He didn't have memories to haunt him whenever something in his mind was triggered. And in another way I felt sorry for him. He never got a chance to know her. His own mother. I felt the tears threaten to spill again, but I forced them back.

"Are you ok?" He stared down at me with worry. I glanced up and offered a tiny smile that didn't reach my eyes.

"My dad." I whispered. "He was my best friend. I did everything with him." I held back a sob that had collected in my throat. "When I was little, I remember wanted to be exactly like him. I wanted to become a cop, just like him, you know - to help people. Be a hero and all that jazz." He looked at me with encouraging eyes and waited for me to continue.

"I even remember secretly wishing that I was a boy because he would always joke around. He'd say that if I was a boy, when I got older we could sit around, drink beer while watching a football game and complain about our wives." I laughed softly and heard as Jacob chuckled with me.

"Every day I'd come home from school and hope that he'd be off work just so that we could hang out for awhile. And one day, a day when he was supposed to be off, when I came home… he wasn't there. So I went to sleep early, thinking that he'd just taken another shift to get some extra cash like he sometimes did. And then when I woke up the next morning…Mom was crying, sitting on a chair in my room, holding one of his shirts. She told me that he was s-shot, and burned to death. He was in a come for months before he d-died."

My sentences were coming out in hiccups now and I felt the sobs pounding at my chest.

Knock, knock.

"And now everything reminds me of him and how he died." I looked down at my feet. "That's why I ran that day. The first time I met you - when I shook your hand. It's just that… your hand was so hot, it was almost scalding. It just brought back some memories that I could deal with."

He was silent for a moment, taking it all in. I noticed that we had slowed down to a few steps per minute.

"The other day when you jumped at me for the chips, we were touching." It wasn't a question but it required an answer.

"It was easier to deal with because it wasn't direct contact." I shrugged my shoulders and focused on the ground.

"I think that it could change." My head shot up and I face him, but he was once again staring directly ahead. "Think about it, Via. Would your dad really want you to go through life scared of half of the things out there?"

"What? You mean like you, Jacob?" My words were harsh and unnecessary, but how dare he tell me that I have no right to have fears. I can be afraid of anything that I want to be afraid of and he shouldn't give a flying fuck if I do. I could be afraid of dandelions and it shouldn't concern him.

"Yes me, Via! Damn it. I've tried my damn hardest to be your friend and I've never consistently done anything for two weeks straight. I can see now that maybe this was a waste of time. We can't be friends if I'm not allowed within a foot of you because you're afraid of facing the truth. You can't hide from your past. I've lived every fucking day of my life without my mother and I've faced it. Hell, I'm still facing it. I see my father just staring at her picture sometimes and I feel like such an asshole for looking like her. I can see it in my dad's eyes when he looks at me. He misses her so much and I'm only bringing her around and making things painful for him.

I can't just leave him though. I'm all he has left, but you… you can get over your fear. Jesus, Via. If you'd fucking let me I could help you."

"Maybe I don't want to be fixed, Jake! Maybe I like being dysfunctional. I have been for a year, it's a part of me now." I stopped and faced him completely. "You can't help me. No one can. I'll be like this forever"

"You don't have to be. Please… just fucking let me in. Stop pushing me away."

"Just stop! You hardly know me, Jacob. You don't know how hard it is for me to be around you. Sometimes I just want to…" I cried out in frustration.

"What? What do you want?"

"Sometimes I just want to be able to let it go but I can't, Jacob, I can't. I know you want to help me, but you can't. Just understand that. We can be friends, we can… but you need to know that there are certain things I just can't do." His face became void of emotions as he stood there, towering over me. My breathing wavered as I saw the muscles in his chest rise and fall. I raised my hand to his chest, right over where his heart is and pressed my hand against his shirt.

"We can be friends, Jake. But… I have issues that I deal with every day." I felt his heart beating rapidly on the palm of my hand. It was mixed with the warmth of his skin seeping through his shirt. I could handle this much.

He looked down at me, his eyes slowly fading from black to brown again and whispered, "I'll help. At least let me try." I nodded up and him. "Come 'ere." He mumbled and I stumbled forward resting both my palms and my cheek on his chest. He carefully brought his hands to my shirt covered back, careful not to touch skin, and it was surprisingly okay. Nothing burned or brought back bad memories.

"But you need to tell me when you feel uncomfortable, V. Or I won't know." From that, I knew he was asking if being this close to him, with his arms around me was ok.

"This is fine." I mumbled into his chest and inhaled. He smelled good. Like pine trees and musk and just… Jacob.

It felt like we were standing that way forever, and when we finally pulled away I could feel the loss. It was much colder now and it was slightly uncomfortable. I'd forgotten how a little bit of warmth can make you feel happier, comforted. I sighed and mentioned something about how I should get home before Bridget gets back. He nodded and we turned back in the direction of my house.

He'd walked me to the doorstep and told me he was gonna head back to La Push and it was only then that I realized Alice's Porsche was gone. I hadn't even realized that she'd taken it. How the hell… never mind. I don't want to know how she got the keys… or how she'd gotten here.

"How are you gonna get home?" I asked, semi worried.

"V, don't worry. No on in Forks is an axe murderer or anything. And if they were, do you really think they'd try to attack me?" He laughed as he poked fun at my worrying. "You're so pretentious." I rolled my eyes at his cockiness and realized he was right. People would most likely mistake him for someone who'd be the attacker instead of the other way around.

"I'll see you around, Via." He smiled and turned to walk away. I rolled my eyes again and stepped into the house, only to see that I'd made a mess when I kicked the table over. I noticed it was back in place though. When had he done that? I smiled at the thought of me screaming and crying like a child and him picking up after me.

I plopped down on the couch and flipped through the channels, not worrying about the mess. I hadn't even known I was tired until I felt my eyes getting heavy and start closing in the middle of some stupid reality show. Moments later I was asleep.

"_You don't know how long I've waited to tell you this." I was enveloped in a pair of strong arms and held tightly against a chest. I pressed my face farther into the strong, chiseled pecs and sighed in contentment. "I love you, Via."_

_I lifted my head to rest my chin on the chest and stared up, smiling. "You don't know how long I've wanted to hear that." I stood up on my tiptoes and kissed a set of full lips. "I love you too."_

_The arms lifted me up higher so that I wouldn't have to stand on my toes. The lips kissed mine harder and rougher then before. I wrapped my arms around a broad neck and pushed myself closer._

_"I feel bad for you're little friend though. He thought he could fix everything." The voice was suddenly malicious and evil, a complete turn around from the sweet, loving notes from before. _

_I heard myself laughing along with the voice. "I told him he couldn't." And then the blurriness that was preventing me from seeing the person faded and I got a good look at him. His skin was so pale I could almost see the veins completely. His hair was a dark shade of brown and his eyes were blood red. His teethe were gleaming white, and razor sharp._

_Then I got a good look at myself. I was no better. Red eyes, my hair cascading down my back in soft waves, and my skin paler then his. My mouth was glistening with a dark red. Blood._

_We both turned to look at the ground to my right. On the floor, dead, was Jacob. I realized this was the first time I'd seen him and my heart ached. I suddenly ripped away from the arms and fell down next to him. I sobbed over his body and touched his face. It was cold. As I cried I slowly returned to normal and Jacob began to regain his heat. "Via, it's ok now. I'm here." His placed his hand on mine, the one that was on his face and rubbed circles on the back of it. _

_"I'm so sorry!" I wailed and sobbed more. He sat up and pressed a kiss to my forehead._

_"I'm not giving up. No matter what."_

_"Don't leave me. Ever again." "Shh. I love you, V." "I don't love him. You. I love you." He soothed me again, whispering in my ear._

_"I know, V. I know."_

I jolted awake from my dream and felt flushed and hot. I got up, ran into the kitchen and splashed water on my face. I noticed my breathing was heavier and louder.

What the hell was that?

**---**

**Yay for short, sucky chapters! Ugh. I'm really upset with how this chapter turned out. But I knew it wasn't going to be super long.**

**I'm sorry : (**

**Next one is gonna be normal length, probably longer.**

**Please review! Via POV still guys?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hm, it seems I've been missing a disclaimer all the past chapters so here we go : I DON'T OWN ANYTHING! Oh, except for the characters you don't recognize and the plot line! Ok?**

**And I know them getting together is painstakingly slow but I swear it will happen. Just not that fast because then there would be no story or plotline. Patience my readers! And isn't it better if they develop a relationship before falling in love and all that jazz?**

**---**

**VPOV**

I honestly don't understand why schools give kids suspension. It's not like we don't enjoy being at home instead of slaving away over tests and worksheets. Seriously, I think I've gotten more pictures taken in two days then I have my whole life. I'm now considering dropping out of school to spend my days photographing the beautiful scenery that is Forks, Washington.

Bridget wasn't in the least bit surprised that I'd eventually punched Larissa. How hypocritical of her would that have been - she would have done the same thing. My mother is so seriously twisted that she's raising my allowance which is kind of a big deal since I didn't even know I had one.

As of an hour ago Bridge and I are planning a trip to Port Angeles because apparently I've ruined her favorite white jacket.

"Friday, you and I are going to spend all day looking around in the shops there. You have got to get some new clothes, girl." Mom dug her spoon into the container of my left over Phish Food. She brought the ice cream closer to her mouth and frowned when it dropped off the spoon and onto her lap. I handed her a napkin and smiled.

"Shopping…yeah, not my thing, Mom. But you go ahead. I'll just check out some antique stores. I need a new table for my room."

"Liv, stop being a geezer. Antique shops? Really? I thought I raised you better then that." She teased me, swatting at my arm. She threw the napkin onto the coffee table and huffed when it missed.

"Can you blame me? I mean, my room is practically bare. And not to mention the fact that, yes, you did raise me. It's no wonder I'm weird." I fanned myself with my hand. It was just a little to warm in here for my likings.

"I am a damn good mother, Livvy. Just because there _were _times that you may have fallen out of my arms and landed on the floor, specifically on your head, doesn't mean anything."

I laughed and shot her a look.

"Alright, well you finish planning and I'm gonna head down to Carver's and pick us up something to eat, since you don't feel the need to cook. You waste things, Mom. I just went shopping Saturday and our fridge is stocked. You need to be more cautious of the economy." I stood up and grabbed the keys to the Eclipse. "Shame."

"Alright, do you want to cook?" She smiled knowingly at me."Psh, hell no."

---

As I drove to the café I became too knowledgeable of my surroundings. I got a strange feeling of déjà vu when I passed by the thick throng of trees that I had seen that mysterious brown flash in. It felt almost as if someone or something was watching from the darkness of the forest. It didn't help me very much that it was getting darker and darker by the second.

The smogginess was just another annoying factor.

I breathed out and giggled when I saw the puff of white floating around. That little puff was my comfort zone. Whenever that little white cloud appeared, it was good weather for me.

I pulled around the corner to the café and parked cautiously, thanking the lords that Chief Swan wasn't here. But I dully noted that it was strange for him. He was usually here whenever he had time off from work. I've noticed that due to me consistently being here. I also noted that Billy's truck was here - again. I laughed silently. That guy has got to be the most stubborn person I'd ever met. Crippled, but insistent on getting himself down here for what he claimed the other day as 'the best food in all of Washington'. I agreed wholeheartedly.

The little bell that I've grown to know and love in the past week chimed as I walked through the creaky door. Ruthie was running around behind the counter, filling orders and cups of coffee - too busy to notice me right away.

"Miss Cort. Always coming down to the diner to see me, aren't you?"

Billy's wide smile and sparkling eyes greeted me from his spot at the table right next to the counter. I grinned as I walked towards the table, sitting in the seat across from him. Ruthie took notice and smiled brightly as she made her way towards us.

"Don't flatter yourself, Billy. Via comes for the food." She patted his shoulder and turned to me. "Don't fluff up his ego anymore, Via. It's big enough already." She winked and went back behind the counter, digging up a cup and filling it with soda. She handed it to me and went to one of the back tables to get their order.

"Now that she's gone it's okay to admit it, Via." Billy chuckled and sipped his drink. I tried to hold back my grimace when I saw the steam floating out of the mug.

"I'm not looking to do any fluffing, Billy." I smiled and pulled a sugar packet from it's holder, swinging it back in forth between my fingers. I listened as the tiny grains swished from side to side.

Ruthie made her way back around the counter and threw some dishes into the sink. She then took her apron off and called out to another waiter that she was taking five. She pulled one of the empty chairs out and crashed down onto it, exhausted.

"Ruth, you work too hard. You need to take a day off." Billy commented as he eyed her with a serious look. Almost like a fatherly look, even though Ruthie isn't too much younger then he is. My eyes shifted back and forth between the two of them.

"I'd like to. I really would. But I'm not sure this place would get much work done if I wasn't here." Ruthie sighed and sunk farther into her chair.

"I take great offense to that, Ruthie." A waitress walked by, carrying what looked like a heavy plate of food in one hand. She smiled at us and walked behind that counter.

"I know you do, Cora." Ruthie smiled back at her and mumbled something about little sisters.

"Ruthie, I agree with Billy. I think you should take the day off. Every time I come in here you're working. No one should work that much." I commented as I took a gulp of my soda. It bubbled down my throat, creating a weird sensation.

"You do when you're the owner."

I nearly spit my drink out. I had absolutely no idea that Ruthie owned this place. I felt bad now. Ruthie still hasn't let me pay for a meal since that first day I've eaten here. She kept insisting that as much as I come down here I'd be paying hundreds of dollars a week. If I had known that I was taking away some of her profit I would have tried a lot harder to make her take the money. My stomach swelled up with guilt as I sipped the soda again.

"I could help you," I started. "I mean, that is, if you would like some help. I'll even do it for free. You've been so nice to me, Ruthie. It's the least I could do." I'd do anything to give her some kind of payment back.

She looked thoughtful for a moment before she smiled. "There will be no such thing as you working for free. You will get paid, the same as everyone else."

I was about to protest and I think that she knew because she stopped me right away. "Via, don't. When would you like to start?"

I grinned at her and we started discussing my new work schedule. I'd insisted on every week day and Sundays, but Ruthie had forcefully stated that I was to not work on the weekends. She insisted that me being a teenager, I was to act like one. No Sundays. I reluctantly agreed. Then when I tried to tell her that I'd come in right after school and stay until closing, she disagreed again stating that if I was to come in right after school I was to leave at 6:30. And if I had some kind of commitment after school I was to call and she would give me the day off.

Then came the debate over money. I was insistent that I be paid by the hour, minimum wage, just like everyone else when the first started, but again I lost to Ruthie and her negotiations. She wanted to pay me by the day even though I was working less then everyone else. I thought she was being ridiculous but she had put her foot down.

It didn't slip my mind that Billy was agreeing with everything she was saying too. He chuckled every time I sent him a desperate look for some backup.

"Ok. So I'll come in tomorrow." She nodded at me. "Early though." She shook her head at me.

"Via, you have school in the morning. You cannot come in."

"Technically, yes. School is in session tomorrow, but my education has been put on hold." Both Ruthie and Billy sent me confused looks. "I've been suspended. But that's okay because now I get to earn the generous amount of money you're offering me."

"Alyvia Cort! What in the world are you suspended for?" Ruthie exclaimed in a hushed whisper.I sighed and explained the whole story - leaving out Jake and my dad though. They didn't need to know that much, especially Billy seeing as he probably knew Jacob. I'm pretty sure the reservation isn't too big…which reminded me.

"Billy, what are the bonfires at First Beach like?" I asked after him and Ruthie were done oohing and ahhing over my Larissa story.

He grinned as though I'd just given him a million dollars. I guess this is something that Billy loves to talk about. But there were plenty of things he likes to talk about so it shouldn't surprise me. Billy is just that kind of person. Kind of like Alice.

"Well Via, the bonfires are like big parties for us Quileutes. Everyone goes all out. We have tons of food, games, surfing if the weather's nice enough and best of all - stories. At midnight everyone sits around the campfire and Quil Ateara senor will tell the legends of our tribe."

Quil Ateara? Like the one I'd met at the park? Maybe it was his father. There was no way he was a senor.

"Why do you ask?" He questioned.

"Oh, no reason really. I've just heard about them." I lied. I really didn't want to tell him that Jacob Black had invited me to one. "I just thought they sounded interesting."

"Well, you should experience one for yourself, Via. There's one this Friday." He smiled. I knew that Billy was an elder and it felt like a honor to be invited by him. I'd done some research on the Quileutes and noted that being an elder was a prestigious position.

So, maybe I should take Bella's advice and just go on Friday… oh, crap. Friday. That's the same day as the trip with Mom. I'd have to talk to her about it. There would be other bonfires though, right? But then again, there are other days that we could go shopping too. Damn.

"I'll ask my mom about it." I smiled and jumped when my phone starting buzzing. Mom. Oh shit, I forgot about the food.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I jumped out of my seat and stood looking for a pen to write down the order so I could hand it to Ruthie. She just waved her hand at me and started to call back our usual to the cook.

"I'm dying. I'm so close to death. My daughter had neglected me. I'm so weak." Mom whispered into the phone. I giggled as she sounded like she was hacking up her stomach.

"I'll call the mortician or can you live another five minutes?" She answered with another hacking cough. "I'll bring home cheesecake."

"Oh. Okay, I can live." I rolled my eyes and hung up the phone. Ruthie handed me the bag with our food in it. I laughed when I saw the cheese cake sitting on top. Ruthie spoiled me.

"Thank you, Ruthie." I send her a warm smile and turned towards Billy. "I'll see you later, Billy." He waved and I was out the door as fast as I could. I didn't want to face the wrath of dead Bridget.

---

Bridget had all but eaten the fork when I arrived home with the food. I never knew my mother could hold that much food. I hardly started eating mine before she dug into my crab cake. The woman was a freaking bulldozer. But as long as her mouth was full, it meant I could talk without her interrupting. My problem was trying to figure out how to bring up the whole Friday issue.

As she shoveled another fork full of food, I decided to just blurt it out.

"So, Mom, about our trip to Port Angeles on Friday…""I'm so excited, Liv." Leave it to my mother to talk with her mouth full. "It feels like ages since we've done something together." Great. If I tell her that I want to do it another day now she give me one hell of a guilt trip. I've experienced only one of those before because I never wanted to go through another one again.

I was thirteen and I wanted to sleep over my friend's house instead of staying home to watch movies with her. She had let me go but the whole next day she was moping on the couch looking sad and pathetic. Bridget seriously could get away with murder. She was young, beautiful and clever. At the time I thought it was my fault and I'd felt so bad that I made my mother act like that. But now I realize that it's all a part of my mother's cleverness.

Now I frequently hold that against here. Her defense was wanting to form a good relationship with her daughter. My rebuttal was - what 28 year old woman would make her thirteen year old daughter feel that guilty.

"Yeah, it's been forever. But, Mom, maybe we could do it another day? Saturday maybe?" I trailed off when I noticed her pouting at me. "I mean cause I got a job, Mom. At Carver's. And I work on the weekdays. Until 6:30. So, Saturday would be so much better."

"I've already taken Friday off though, Alyvia."

Oh, no. My full name. Oh, God, this isn't going too good.

"Mom, this really isn't my fault. I mean, do you want me to lose the job that I just got hired for. That wouldn't be very good on a resume." She wasn't going to make this harder then it should be. I wasn't an impressionable kid like I used to be.

"Ruth would understand and I know the job excuse isn't why you want to reschedule the day." Mom pressed. I hate myself for being so see through. "What's the other reason, Alyvia?"

There were two different scenarios that I was picturing in my head. In the first one I could tell her the truth and she would torture me for hours about the boy and who he was and what I was going to wear and were we dating. And the second one would go something like me not telling her, her getting upset and going to her room, refusing to speak to me for days and then I'd end up buying her something pretty to make up for it. But damn it. I wasn't her boyfriend. I shouldn't have to buy her things when I make her upset.

Scenario one it is then.

"You need to promise me that you won't make a big deal out of this. Okay?" She nodded and I could see the excitement and suspicion in her eyes, like she was seriously thinking that I was about to tell her that I was sneaking off to get high with a bunch of Bob Marley wannabes.

"I got invited to this bonfire. At First Beach. And I was thinking about going… you know." I stared at the fabric on the couch, tracing patterns into the suede.

"And who is it that invited you. I'm assuming it's a Quileute, right?" Bridget pressed in an overexcited voice. I didn't dare look up at her. I placed my forefinger on my nose. "A boy?"

Here comes the hard part. Technically I was invited by two different people. I could either tell my mother that it was a boy, my age, who often came over when she was away or I could tell her that one of the elders had. Yeah. I'll go with that one.

"Actually, by one of the elders - Billy. He's always down at Carver's and he's a nice guy. Bella and Charlie know him. He said that the bonfires are like big parties and almost everyone, including some of the kids from Forks have gone to them." I chanced a look at her and she was beaming at me.

"Liv, calm down. I'm not going to yell. That was extremely nice of him to invite you to it. But I think this means you need a new outfit. Can you just ask Ruth if you can get off Friday? I promise that once you find the outfit we can leave." I sighed and nodded my head.

I got only a grin in response.

---

Never trust Bridget. Never, ever trust Bridget.

I'd had stupidly trusted my mother when she said we'd leave right after I found what I wanted to wear. She's a liar! I can't even trust my own mother. This is ridiculous. It's a good thing that we left this early or we'd have been here the whole day.

Bridget hadn't approved of what I wanted to wear so she insisted on finding something better. Something better in her opinion is a dress with tiny flowers all over it held at the waist with a thick black belt, with black tights underneath and heels. Like I could walk on a beach with heals. I wanted the cute, vintage, combat boots, which Bridget _had _bought for me, but she insisted on the heels. And to top it off, a blue oversized blazer with a tan sweater underneath. The outfit was cute, I have to say, but it wasn't me. It was a supermodel's during Fashion Week in New York.

"No. No, no, no. No!" I kicked the heels off and placed them back into the box while refusing. There was no need for the heels. I'd only get stuck in the sand, not to mention that I would take them off as soon as I got there.

"Liv, just listen to me. They looked great. Just trust me." She smiled and shook the box of shoes. There was no winning with her. I was going to end up wearing what she wanted.

At least I got my boots.

---

I stood looking in my full length mirror. Okay, I didn't look that bad, but I wasn't totally comfortable either. The heels were unusually comfortable, but I totally planned on changing into my boots the second I got there. That way, there was no chance that sand was getting into my tights and irritating my feet the whole night.

A knock on my door interrupted my thoughts and Mom came barging in, with both hands behind her back.

"Hey, sweets. You look great. Stop fussing." She moved over to my bed, making sure that whatever she was hiding was not shown. I frowned at her and tried to see what it was she thought I couldn't see. "But you know what would make my already gorgeous daughter even more gorgeous?" I narrowed my eyes and shook my head.

I wasn't going to wear…

"Makeup!" She grinned and showed my her hands. What the hell is that? It looks like an eye gouger. That wasn't going anywhere near my face.

"No! I won't do it." I crossed my arms across my chest and pouted. No. She already forced me into wearing this outfit. I will not allow her to do this.

"Come on! Just a little eyeliner and mascara." I shook my head again. "You're no fun. This is why I had a girl!"

"Cause you could control your conception." I sighed and sat on my desk chair. "No, Mom. No."

"Then let me do something with your hair."

---

I've never won. I never win and I never will win. Once I agreed to letting Bridget do my hair she ambushed me with the makeup. Now my eyes felt like 100 pounds each and my lips tasted like strawberries and my now perfectly wavy hair kept getting caught on them.

"What are you hiding under your jacket?" Mom tried to pry my hands from beneath the blazer. We looked ridiculous spinning in circles as she tried to get the boots out of my hands.

"Nothing."

"Alyvia, give me the boots." Mom grunted as she tried to pull them from the inside of the jacket. I pulled harder, thanking God that Mom had never worked out or lifted anything over 20 pounds in her life. I had an advantage.

"What boots?"

"The boots you're smuggling in your coat." She pulled and whined when I pulled back. Then she bit me. She bit me. Teeth to skin contact. I yelped and let go of the boots. Mom smiled and wiped the hair out of her face.

"I hope your happy." I pulled at the hem of the dress, making it longer and pushed my hair behind my ears. She grinned and sent me to the door, throwing her keys at me.

"I do what's best for you." She patted my back and opened the door, walking me to the car. "You're just ungrateful for a wonderful mother like _moi_."

"Your mouth moves, yet I hear nothing. I think I'm deaf." I smirked at her and opened the driver's seat door, pulling myself in carefully. "Wait, I'm not completely sure how to get there."

"Navigation system, my dear." She smiled and shut the door, waving me off. Yeah, thanks mom. I'll try not to crash anything while driving illegally, but these shoes you put me in might get in the way of that.

I pulled out of the driveway listening to all the top 40 songs that Bridget's radio was set to. She acts younger then me and it's really sad. She's not even in her midlife crisis yet. I laughed to myself and stopped at one of the few stop lights that Forks has. I punched the address into the navigator and listened as the female voice guided me to First Beach. Normally, I wouldn't trust these things but as a gift for moving all the way for work, Mom's boss had sent her the best navigator money could buy. This thing was high-tech,

Just as I was about to turn the around the corner, I heard a loud bang-like noise coming from the side of the car. What the hell was that? I pulled over to the side of the road and climbed out of the car, getting ready to examine the damage. I didn't know too much about cars but I was pretty sure that the tire popped. I kneeled down to look at the tire and saw a huge tear in it. I groaned and sat down on the cold sidewalk. I stared at the hole in the rubber and pressed my face into my hands. Great. Just fucking great.

"Damn it!"

---

"1,543, 1,544, 1,545, 1,546... This is boring… 1,547, 1,548, 1,549... I can't take much more of this… 1,550. OK, stop it." I was lying on my back on the concrete, moping in my own patheticness. My cell phone told me it was 8:39 but it also told me that I had no service. Was this punishment for driving illegally?

No car has even driven by in the past hour. Was Forks really that tiny?

I gained enough strength to stand up and brush myself off. I hadn't moved in the past hour since I had looked at the tire. This is truly pathetic. I was sitting on the pavement in a dress with my hair and makeup done. Am I being Punk'd?

"You're stupid and I hate you!" I yelled to whoever thought this prank was hilarious enough to pull on me.

"Well that's just mean." I jumped when I heard the gruff voice coming from behind me. There's Ashton. I turned to face the culprit, fully intending to tell him off. Whoa, this was no Ashton. It was…Jacob? No, wait… Quil? No? Was it possible that three boys could look so much alike when they weren't even brothers?

"Calm down. I'm not gonna attack you or something." He took a step closer and I realized that he was probably around my age. At least that's what I guessed. He looked a little younger then Jacob and Quil, who looked well over their age, so it's a pretty safe guess. "I'm Seth." And just like Quil, Seth didn't offer me his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Seth, but if you don't mind, I like to wallow by myself." I nodded towards my car and he chuckled.

"Were you heading towards First Beach?" When I nodded he nearly doubled over in laughter. Well, that's rude. I was standing here, in the cold - not that I minded, in God knows what part of Washington and he was laughing at me. "You're kinda there." I snapped my head towards him and raised my eyebrows.

"What do you mean?"

"You just turn this corner and you're there." He pointed to the corner that I was going to turn before the tire got slashed. I groaned and stomped my foot, causing him to laugh even more. "Jake's right. Girls do do _that _in real life." My eyebrows rose even higher at the mention of Jake.

"Jake? Jacob Black?" He nodded and motioned for me to follow him.

"You're Via, right? The girl he invited?" He smiled a blinding smile at me and continued to walk me to the beach. I was having a hard time in the stupid heels and I he noticed because he was chuckling the whole time.

"Yeah, I am." I smiled back at him. He was energetic and bubbly and I immediately liked him. "And thanks for finding me back there. I'd never have figure it out if it weren't for you." I laughed quietly and continued to step over the rocks that were daring me to trip over them. I wasn't even surprised that I was still shorter then Seth, even in my heels.

"No problem. Jake would have killed me if I left you there." I know it shouldn't have but my stomach flipped when he mentioned that. At least Jacob cared for my wellbeing enough to not want me to die on the side of the road. "Here we are. First Beach." He held out his hand as if to showcase the beach. Very Vanna White of him.

I gasped at the sight before me. A bunch of teenagers were scattered around the beach doing various things. Most of the adults were sitting around the small fire that looked just recently started, talking and laughing at something. I looked around to see if I saw anyone that looked the least bit familiar. I knew if anyone was looking for me, it'd be quite easy. I was definitely the pales person here. I would give anything to tan like most of these girls.

"So, you're probably looking for Jake right?" I turned towards Seth and shrugged."Um, I'm not even sure he knows I'm going to be here. I haven't talked to him since Monday."

"Oh, well you can hang out with me if you want." He offered and walked us towards a log that was seated conveniently by the fire. We sat facing the opposite way. "How do you like Forks?" Seth asked as he rubbed his hands together. I wonder if he feels like a radiator too.

"It's good." I glanced down at my lap as some teenagers walked by staring at me. Seth said hello to them and they kept walking, not caring that they were being rude and staring at me.

"Sorry, people get curious around here." He laughed at my expression and kicked at the sand with his feet. "You're probably not used to people staring at you like your from a different planet."

"No, I live for them. Really." I shook my head at my stupid response and cringed. Seth found it funny though, and started laughing a deep, gravelly laugh.

"You're funny." He chuckled and then his eyes widened as he stared at, yet another, tall look-a-like walking towards us. "Um, brace yourself for Embry."

"Seth!" Embry shouted as he closed in on us. He pulled Seth up from the log and smacked the side of his head and laughed. "Look at you sitting down with a girl. Did you bribe her?"

"No, Embry. I -"

"Do her homework?"

"Embry, what -"

"Tell her about all the hot guys down here in La Push? Specifically me?" Embry turned his eyes towards me and winked. I laughed and smiled at him. I watched as he took Seth's head under his arm and held him there, taking pleasure in Seth trying to wiggle his way out of the headlock.

"Jake invited her." Seth grunted out. Embry's arm fell away from Seth's head and he stood up straighter.

"Oh, damn. You're, Via?"

"Yeah." I tugged at my sleeves and suddenly felt very exposed. Apparently Jake liked to tell everyone that he invited me. Was I suddenly known as the girl Jake invited?

"Dude. Well, Jake's been, like, worrying you weren't going to show for the past hour." He grinned when he pointed to the other side of the beach. "You should see him. Oh, man. It's priceless. Alright. You stay. I'm gonna go tell him." Embry practically giggled as he ran away.

"I, uh, told you. You cannot blame me for anything Embry Call says or does." Seth chuckled as he sat back down on the log. I sighed and joined him.

"Don't worry. I won't hold you responsible." We sat in silence for a few moments when suddenly Seth turned around. "Geez, Embry." I followed suit and looked behind us to where Embry was explaining something in great detail to someone who I assumed was Jacob. Embry's broad shoulders were blocking me from seeing though. Suddenly Embry was being whisked away into the forest by Jake. Separately, it was almost too difficult to tell them apart, but next to each other it was impossible to get them confused. Jacob was about two or three inches taller and definitely more muscular.

"This might take them awhile." Seth sighed and stood up. "You wanna get something to eat or drink?" I nodded and followed him to the table set up. The amount of food on the table shocked me. There was almost too much food and half of it was already gone.

Seth piled his plate with double helpings of everything - and I mean everything. I looked at him in surprise and he responded with a wide smile. I, on the other hand wasn't hungry, just dying of thirst. I grabbed one of the water bottles and followed Seth back over to the log.

"You're going to eat all of that?" I asked incredulously. He smirked and shoved a large piece of chicken into his mouth. I laughed as he swallowed and patted his stomach.

"Finger lickin' good." He nodded to the plate of food, "Emily's the best cook I know." He pointed out a tiny figure with long dark hair, standing next to a tall, muscular guy. Were all the Quileute guys tall and muscular?

As Seth downed his food I took a good look around the beach. There must be some good water here in Washington because all of these people were abnormally good looking. I'd moved into the state of natural born models. It was hard to believe that this was real life. I noticed Billy sitting next to a bunch of who I assumed where the other elders. He spotted me and turned away from them in his chair. Seth noticed and rushed over to him, grabbing the handles on the back of the chair, pushing him towards us.

"There you are. I was wondering whether you'd show or not." Billy chuckled as he got settled once again. "I see you met young Seth Clearwater." He flicked his gaze to Seth.

"Aw, Billy, I'm not that young." Seth blushed as he once again took a seat on the log.

"You're young to me, kid." Billy patted Seth's shoulder, and laughed. "Speaking of kids, have you seen -"

"Bill-ay! B-B-B-Bill-ay!" I turned to see Embry standing behind Billy's chair, almost out of breath. "I'll have you know your son just beat the sh- Oh, hey, Via. What's up?"

I raised my eyebrow at him but he just smirked and shrugged.

"Embry, you pansy. What the hell?" Came the deep voice that I've come to know so well during my time here. He was walking towards us, not he knew I was there, I was hidden by Billy. But my God, the guy's shirt was off. That's when I took notice that he wasn't the only one. Embry's was as well as two other guys who were playing football closer to the shore. "You can't just come over to me, telling me that Seth was trying to get in Via's - Shit." He whispered the last part. "Hey, Dad."

"Nice mouth, son." Billy smiled back at Jacob.

Dad? Son? Billy was Billy Black? Billy Black as in Jacob's dad?

"Only the best for Embry."

I wondered if I should stand up or something and announce myself. Embry looked at me and smirked. I was strangely terrified.

"So, Jakey, still wondering if your girlfriend is gonna show?" Oh, that guy is dead. I heard a growl come from Jacob and a rock flew past Embry's head.

"Shut up."

"Who'd you invite Jacob?" Billy asked curiously. I heard a sigh come from Jacob and Embry stifled a laugh. "Wouldn't you love to know, Billy." Embry nodded down towards me, making Billy's eyes shift down to, making Seth look, making Jacob look. "Wait, you've already met."

I smiled shyly up at Billy and Jacob who's expression's were identical. Both of their mouths were on the verge of smiling yet their eyes were both shocked. I stood up from my spot and brushed my clothes off, struggling to stand in my heels.

"Hi." I gave a tiny wave at them and looked down.

"So you're the girl that Jacob always talks about." Billy said, smiled widely at me. Jacob's eyes widened in what I assumed was anger or embarrassment. He looked like he was ready to push his dad into the ocean at any second. But he recovered.

"You're the 'nice girl from Carver's' that Dad wanted me to meet." Jacob's eyes flickered from me to his Dad. Billy shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

"Obviously, I was right when I said you'd like her though, Jake." Billy punched his son's arm. Jacob narrowed his eyes and scowled at his dad and friends. Seth stood up and headed towards the ocean to play football with the other two shirtless guys. Embry looked towards us, mouthed 'watch this' and ran at Seth, tackling him to the ground.

"Go ahead, leave your old man to the adults. You and Via go do something." Billy winked at us and called to someone to help him get back over to his original spot next to the rest of the elders.

Jake motioned for me to follow him, I struggled trying to move my feet from the spot I'd been standing in. I held up a finger to show that I wasn't quite ready. I sat back down and pulled the shoes off, holding them in one hand before fallowing.

The wind whipped softly around us, making my wavy hair flow gently in the breeze. I felt Jacob's eyes on me as we walked. I turned my gaze towards him and raised an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked shyly, already feeling the blush rise to my cheeks. He smiled and locked eyes with me.

"You look different." He commented. "I don't know. There's something…" I sighed and nodded my head.

"Makeup." I grimaced at the word and stared at my feet.

"It's not bad. Just different. If it's any consolation, I think you look amazing without it." I turned back to him and smiled. Stupid Mom and her stupid makeup.

"Bridget attacked me with new clothes, shoes," I held up the death traps that were swinging freely in my left hand. "And makeup. She wouldn't give up until I gave in." I laughed quietly and shrugged my shoulders.

"Next time she tries, I'll come save you." He chuckled and stopped abruptly, sitting down in the sand. I shot him a look but sat next to him. It was almost too hard to look at him without my eyes wandering down to his chest and stomach. Where did his shirt go and could someone please get it for him so that I didn't molest his torso with my eyes.

We sat in silence for what seemed like longer then it really was. I stared at the waves that were gently crashing down onto the sand in a perfect rhythm. It was calming.

"I thought you weren't coming." Jacob said quietly as he stared out to the ocean, much like I was. He let out an almost silent sound, that I'm pretty sure was a laugh.

"I had some car troubles that ended with me sitting on the side of the road for an hour until Seth found me." I picked at the sand with my fingers and pressed my hand into the tiny grains, making an imprint of my hand.

"An hour?" I nodded and he burst out laughing. "You didn't call anyone?"

"No service." I said sternly. Why was he laughing?

"Please tell me that you waited in the car." He said through laughs.

"No, I was actually lying on the sidewalk." I shrugged. That seemed like the norm for me today. Shrugging.

"Via, what the hell? You sat on the side of the road by yourself for an hour? You should have sat in the car." His tone of voice changed drastically as he eyed me. His eyes were illuminated with anger. My own eyes narrowed in confusion.

"This isn't Seattle or anything. And I can handle myself very well, thank you. And Seth found me, so… it's not like it was some complete stranger. You know him! And I'm fine, so you have nothing to be so angry about. The tire popped, I spent an hour lying on the sidewalk singing and counting to 1,550 to pass time, and then I was found by Seth who informed me that I was only three yards away from here. So…" I trailed off and tried to calm myself down.

"I'm sorry… you just. I don't like the idea of you being alone at night, on the side of the road." He sighed and turned to me. "And I'm kind of jealous that Seth was the one that found you."Hello, Blush. Have you met Cheeks?

"You're jealous that Seth found me instead of…"

"Me finding you." He finished. "I mean, he was the first one to see you first. And I definitely wanted to be the first one to see how great you looked tonight. Embry will be bagging on me for that one." He laughed and turned back to the ocean. "Next time you come to one of these things, I'm picking you up."

Next time.

I could handle that.

**---**

**Ok! That was the bonfire part one. What did you guys think? Not much Jacob but I hope I made up for that with the Seth and Embry being thrown in. Oh and the mother and daughter bonding thing.**

**And before you ask - No, Jacob has not imprinted on her yet. I think it's going to be pretty obvious when he does.**

**And again, please review and tell your friends to tell their friends to tell their friends and so on about this story!**


	9. Chapter 9

This is part 2 of the bonfire. Enjoy!

VPOV

Normally, I'm not to ashamed of my height or feel any need to be shorter or taller then I really am, but damn, this guy was making this extremely difficult for me. My eyes only just came up to his chest. I felt so small compared to him. It was almost humbling. No one should ever tell me that I'm tall ever again. And someone still needs to answer my question from earlier; Where the hell is his shirt?

We were walking again, talking quietly and listening to the ocean. The wind was picking up, but he didn't look the least bit uncomfortable or cold. I guess he's in good reason though. The guy feels like a blacktop that's been heated from the sun all day. Stupid comparison, I know, but it's probably one of the best ways to describe his body temperature.

Our conversation had ceased to almost nothing as we walked farther along the shore. My hands and face felt numb, but I wasn't going to complain. If he had been so worried about me sitting alone in La Push, of all places, still able to feel every limb he'd most likely flip and think that I'm getting frost bitten or something. And there was no need for him to try and warm me up. There was no way thatwould ever turn out well.

Suddenly, I needed to break the silence. It was almost eerie how silent we were being. I'm not eve sure that he's breathing, unless the noises were just being covered by the sounds of the waves.

"How tall are you?" Word vomit. Ask what you were thinking - classic move. I have no idea why I asked that, it's not like I didn't know the guy was almost seven feet tall. It just felt like a natural question, simple. Why not use it as the ice breaker?

He chuckled before replying, "6'7". Why?"

"No reason. Just… you're really tall." That was an understatement. Extremely huge was more like it. He was exactly a foot taller then me. For some reason I found that oddly comforting.

"Good genes. Or bad genes depending on how you look at it, I guess." He looked down at me and smiled. His teeth were glowing a brilliant white under the moon and it was hard to look at him without squinting. Being the self conscious idiot that I am, I started wondering if my teeth looked anything like his. I had to fight the urge to run to the ocean and check the reflection, because that would be quite stupid of me.

"Good genes." I replied, after that long debate about my teeth. I have really got to stop obsessing over the little things. Like the fact that he still didn't have a shirt on and every time he moved, his muscles would flex. I'm such a girl right now. Do friends even check friends out? Is there like a rule about that somewhere?

"Glad you think so." He ran a hand through his hair and I had to look away. This man just needs to stop moving. It's driving me insane! No sixteen year old guy should be that ripped. It just doesn't seem logical.

"Mhm."

We walked a few more paces before he stopped abruptly. I thought he was going to sit down again but he surprised me by asking if I wanted to head back up to the bonfire, since it was closing in on midnight. I had to backtrack and think of what I'd been doing this whole time. Had it really been that long since I got 'stranded' and then rescued by Seth?

I stumbled when my foot fell into a sand hidden ditch. Jacob's hand flew out and grabbed my clothed arm before I could fall, settling me upright again. I murmured a thanks and we continued walking. I tried to ignore the fact that where his hand touched my arm, the faint heat still lingered.

"Just in time, kiddos." Embry passed by smirking at us while shoving a hot dog down his throat. That had to be his 10th one tonight. No wonder these guys were huge, all they did was eat. "Did you guys have some fun?" He wiggled his eyebrows and dodged Jake's fist just seconds before it collided with his head. "Nice try, Jake. I'm to swift for you." He sat down next to Seth, who was looking way to into the fire. Seated on the other side of him was a girl. She looked about 20 or so and she had the most beautiful, exotic face. Her almond shaped eyes were squinted with what looked like anger. The irises weren't dark brown like most of the Quileutes; they had hints of green in them that stood out in the light of the fire. Her medium brown hair was cropped to the shoulders, highlighted naturally by the sun.

What could possibly make this girl so upset? She was stunning, to say the least, and people kept trying to talk to her. She blew every single one of them off, staring straight in front of her. Her eyes trained on the tall man I saw earlier. The one who was with the girl that Seth pointed out as Emily.

The girl glowered at him, making sure every time his eyes caught hers, she scowled. I felt almost bad for the guy. He was just sitting by the fire, having an immensely pretty girl shooting him death stares. What had he done to make her so bitter?That's when I noticed his arm around the Emily girl. His thumb was rubbing circles on her bare shoulder, moving in gentle patterns. He looked down at her with such a touching expression that I almost wanted to cry. It was like watching someone find their favorite childhood memory after decades. It was like watching someone blind see for the first time in their life. It was like watching two people first discovering that they loved each other so much, it would break their hearts to be away from each other for more then an hour.

It was like watching how my mom and dad used to look at each other.

I squeezed my eyes shut before sitting down next to Jacob on one of the empty logs. Some of the elders and other kids shot me weird looks, like I was taking someone else's place. And I had a feeling I was.

The only person who didn't seem to care at all that I was sitting next to Jacob was the angry, beautiful girl. As her eyes moved away from the guy, she glanced around the bonfire. Once her eyes hit me, they softened only the slightest bit, but I could see it. She looked relieved that whoever's spot I've taken, wasn't there. I couldn't help but feel a little happy that this girl wasn't shooting the same daggers at me that she was at everyone else.

"Em, do you have everything?" Billy asked Emily when everyone was settled. She nodded her head and bent down to pick up a pen and notebook from the sand. Her head turned in a specific angle that let me view the other side of her face. The side I had yet to see.

Scars lined that side of her face, marring her pretty features. One scar was so close to her eye, that it made it droop just a tiny bit. Another scar traveled all the way down to her mouth, giving her a permanent scowl. When she sat back up, ready with her supplies, the guy next to her kissed each of the scars, holding her tightly to his side. That gentle gesture made the scars disappear from her face. I could see through them. She was absolutely gorgeous. Her features were soft and rounded, almost like a child, but there was a wisdom behind them that no child would know. I felt like the ugly duckling surrounded by these people. Was it normal for so many people do be this good looking?

My worries were interrupted by Billy, who started telling one of the tribe's stories. I was listening intently to him speaking, but I was terribly confused. The Quileutes apparently used to be able to leave their bodies and become 'spirit warriors'. Billy went on to say that the chief, Taha Aki, merged his spirit with a wolf after, Utlapa - a traitorous warrior, stole his body which led to the beginning of the warriors phasing into werewolves.

I shot a glance over to Emily and saw her hand scribbling fiercely in the notebook. The big guy next to her still had her pulled in as close to him as she could get. I smiled a little at the sight.

Billy's story was over by the time I started listening again. He mentioned for Old Quil to start his story - about Taha Aki's third wife. As much as I had been into the other story, this one spiked my interest so much more.

Old Quil talked about when Taha Aki found his third wife, he considered her his soul mate and stopped phasing, so that he could grow old with her. The romantic part didn't last long in Old Quil's story, though. Apparently women from the Makah rez started to disappear so the Quileute warriors took on their duties of protecting the tribe once again. Out of the warriors who were sent into the woods, only one came back.

That's when Old Quil started to talk about the cold ones. Yaha Uta, the surviving warrior brought back the body of the 'cold one'. Old Quil mentioned that the body tried to reassemble itself, so the tribe burned it. Then he went on to explain that the cold one's mate came back to avenge him.

Old Quil explained that she was easily the most beautiful women that anyone in the tribe had ever seen. Her skin was pale white and her eyes were a brilliant red. My thoughts flashed back to the dream I'd had a few nights ago. The one where my eyes were the shocking crimson color. Was that just a strange coincidence or something?

The last part of the story that I'd heard was the third wife stabbing herself so that the 'Cold Woman' wouldn't attack Taha Aki. She died, but Taha Aki was able to kill the woman. Taha Aki stayed with his wife's body for one day, still phased, then he ran off into the woods and was never seen again.

I glanced at Emily, who was done writing down the words of Old Quil, and then to the beautiful, angry girl. Angry girl was glaring at the sand, moving it around with a small stick. I felt a nudge on my side and looked over at Jacob who was smiling at me, looking a little nervous.

"You should probably head home. It's getting late." He stood and offered his hand to me, but pulled it away when he registered the fact that I wasn't going to take it. "I can take a look at your car if you want."

"It's just a flat tire." I stood along with him, almost getting walked over by one of huge guys that I'd seen earlier playing football.

"Do you have a spare?" I shook my head. Bridget had unloaded that the day she got the car. "We have some back at my house. I can fix it for you in under five minutes." I nodded my head. Jacob called to Billy that we'd be headed towards their house. Billy nodded and told him to hurry back. I didn't miss the wolf whistle from Embry as we walked away.

We'd reached the Black's house in under 10 minutes, and entered their large, red shed. Jacob flicked a light on and walked towards the back of the building, passing an old dirt bike that was surrounded by various parts. As I stood awkwardly by the door of the shed, Jake fumbled through tools, searching for a specific one. I watched as the muscles in his back contracted with each movement of his body. When he reached out with his right hand, his shoulder blade rippled under his skin. He turned to face the light, to see better, giving me a great view of his toned stomach and chest. I was fairly sure he couldn't tell I was watching because his head was down, concentrating on the tiny silver tool in his hands.

My eyes traveled a path from his chiseled chest down to his abs that were flexing furiously as he toyed with the instrument. My eyes didn't stop there, they counted each muscle that lead down to where his pants hung dangerously low on his hips. I tore my eyes away feeling like a creep for ogling him. The silence was making me crazy.

"So this is where all your engineering takes place." Way to be obvious, I know. His head shot up, his expression almost unreadable. He looked like a cross between confused and lost, almost like he's forgotten where he was.

"Oh, um. Yeah." He lost hold of the tiny object and it made a small tinkling noise when it hit the ground. He cussed and bent down to grab it, holding it tightly in his hand before moving to the opposite side of the room. He moved a tarp off of a large stack of tires, moved a few off the top and grab one from the middle. "You ready?" I nodded and pushed the door back open, holding it for him. He nodded his head, smiling slightly at my gesture. I followed behind him slowly, wondering why he was acting so strange. Had I imagined our in depth talk back on the beach?

"So… five minutes, huh?" His neck turned abruptly as he moved to look at me. Confusion marred his face, asking for an explanation. "You said you could have it fixed in five minutes." The familiar gleam returned in his eyes as his trademark smile grew.

"I believe I said under five minutes." I rolled my eyes at his tone, but at least he seemed back to normal. Well, as normal as a gigantic, muscular, 16 year old guy, wearing no shirt in this weather, can be.

"Care to make a bet?"

"You're gonna lose. I'll just tell you that now." He smirked, "It'd be a waste of whatever you're willing to bet."

"Hey, if you're so confident about this, why would you waste a chance at winning something?" He shrugged. "Come on. I've been here for, what, two weeks? Nothing interesting has happened. I'm not afraid of losing anything."

"Alright fine. Do you wanna pick what we're betting on or can I do the honors?" I gestured that it was all his. His smirk grew immensely. "Alright if you win, and I don't change the tire in under five minutes I will become your personal butler, slave - whatever the hell you want to call it, for two months. If you lose, you get the pleasure of accompanying me, down here in La Push, at my request, every weekend for two months."

"So win or lose I still have to see your pretty little mug all the time?" He smiled cheekily at me and I sighed, in mock defeat. "Deal. Oh, and just because I know I'm going to win, let's just throw in the bonus of 20 dollars for the winner."

"You're going to regret this, V."

"You sound scared, _J_." I smirked and stepped on the back of his shoe, making him stumble slightly. I took that moment to notice that my tights had holes all over the bottom of them. That's what I get for not wearing the heels.

"Never scared. You're on."

---

"God damn it!""I told you. Now pay up."

"No."

"You lost. You have to. Follow the rules. You can't just say 'no' now that you lost."

"It's not fair! You kept distracting me."

"Not my fault you can't count right."

"Jake! I wouldn't have lost if you didn't keep _accidentally _kicking me." I pouted like a child, with my arms crossed in front of my chest.

When we finally reached Bridget's car Jacob had gotten right down to work. I'd begun counting the second he began taking off the flat tire. Somewhere around three minutes he's foot hit my leg. I ignored it, thinking that it was a complete accident, but I lost my place and had to start a few seconds behind giving him what he wanted - more time. Not more then thirty seconds later, his leg stretched out, hitting my feet, almost knocking me over. Once again, I lost my freaking place in counting. Then right before the five minute mark he stepped on my toes. That's when I started yelling at him, accusing him of doing it on purpose. He finished with a smile on his face, declaring that he won.

"Yeah, I should get that checked, huh? Anyways, I want 20 dollars by tomorrow, since you will be coming down here, right?" I bit my lip, trying to hold myself back from punching him somewhere it would hurt him very badly.

"Are you _requesting _it or are you just asking?" I pried the driver's seat door open and sat down with my legs still hanging out. "Because if I happen to get in the car and drive away before you _request _that I come down here tomorrow, technically I don't have to show." I pulled the rest of my body into the car and began shutting the door.

"Why request it when I already know you want to come spend time with me?" His hand held the door from shutting. I glared at it and then directly at him, a smile tugging at my lips.

"I don't know. I might have something to do tomorrow."

"V, come on." His full lips pouted at me. "Don't make me beg."

"Are you gonna let go of the door if I say I'll be here tomorrow?"

"Absolutely."

I sighed and nodded at him. "I'll be here." His hand slipped off the door and I pulled it shut, sticking the key in the ignition. Not a second after the car roared to life, a tap sounded off the window. Jacob was leaning down, smirking, signaling that he wanted me to roll down the barrier of glass that was separating us.

"We'll meet here? First Beach? Around 12?"

"Yes. Now if I don't get home soon, Bridget's not gonna let me go anywhere tomorrow."

He frowned a bit before backing away from the car. "'Night, V."

"'Night, Jake."

---

"Mom! Have you seen my jean shorts?" I pulled various colorful clothing out of the washing machine in search of the lost shorts. I knew they were around somewhere, but they weren't in any of my drawers and I hadn't worn them yet. Bridget was ignoring my calls to her and I was getting desperate. I had a half hour to find them if I wanted to get to First Beach on time.

"Uh… no."

"Are you sure?" I plucked a few more clothes out of the machine and fell to the floor, completely covered in the clothing. I blew a piece of hair out of my face and chewed on the inside of my cheek. Where the hell were they? The one day in forks where it's warm enough to still look sane while wearing shorts, and they go missing.

"Maybe." Oh, I know that voice.

I got up from the monsoon of clothes and rushed out of the cramped room to find my mother. My immature, immature mother. I heard her footsteps running into a different room the second she heard mine coming after her.

"Leave me alone! I don't have them!" I heard a slam, muffling her voice and rushed to the offending sound. I pounded my fist on the door, trying to get her to open it.

"I know you're wearing them! Buy your own, Mother!"

"I would, but I'm afraid to come out."

I sighed and stopped banging on the door. A few seconds later, her head popped out of the opened crack. Her blue eyes widened when she saw me.

"I just wanted to see if they fit. I lost weight!" She proclaimed happily. My beautiful, immature, young mother. There's yet another thing that I can add to her description. Skinny. I had a feeling Tyra would be calling any second, asking for Miss Bridget Cort to be America's Next Top Model, no competition needed.

"Please take them off. I'm going to the beach, and it would be nice to wear them."

"Twice in two days?" She moved the door open more, and I got a full view of her in my jean shorts. Great, my mother looks better in them then I do. There are downsides to having a young mother, believe it or not.

"Yeah." I shrugged and turned away when she started to shimmy the shorts off her hips. She may be my mother, but I really don't feel the need to witness her in her underwear when it can be avoided.

"Weird. Since when have you gained a sudden interest in the beach? You used to hate it. 'It's too hot.' That's all I'd hear whenever I took you to Rehoboth." She threw the jeans at my face, smiling when they made a slapping noise. I rubbed the spot where the material hit.

"It's colder here."

"Yeah. I believe that." She shuffled past me, towards the stairs, beckoning me to follow her. I trudged my way, slowly, up the stairs behind her.

We made our way into her bedroom, leaving the door open behind us. I collapsed on her bed while she sifted through drawers of clothes that she hardly ever wears, no doubt looking for something she hasn't been able to wear since she gave birth to me. Her tan comforter itched the back of my thighs as I shifted to get more comfortable on her waterbed. I'd never understand how she can sleep in this thing. I felt like I was sinking into it.

"Who's the dude?" She turned her head, her hair swinging from one shoulder to the other as she did so. I stared at her, in shock, not wanting to say anything. "Who'd you meet?"

"Why do you assume that I've met some guy just 'cause I want to go to the beach?"

"Call it mother's intuition, sweets. Just fess up. I'm not gonna make a big deal out of it." She threw on a pair of cut off sweatpants from Pink by Victoria's Secret and sat next to me in her ocean of a bed.

I contemplated whether or not I should finally tell her about Jacob. Telling her would make her think that I like him in a way more then friends, which I do not. Sure, he's very attractive and nice once you get past the jerky exterior, but he obviously wasn't meant for me. I could never be with someone I couldn't have skin to skin contact with. So I went with option B - not telling her. She prodded at me to tell her for a few more minutes before finally giving up and accepting that there wasn't a guy and I'd just found a new interest since we've moved.

I felt bad lying to Bridget, but I was in no way ready to tell her anything about a boy. She's never believe me if I told her he was only 16. She's see his exterior - the one that looks like a man in his mid twenties, and for Bridget, that was a big win. She'd scold me, not seriously, for hanging out with him and then she'd flirt and act coy whenever he was around. Not that she'd ever do anything. I'm not even sure she knows she does it. It's just Bridget being Bridget. I know she still loves Dad too much to even think about being with another man.

20 minutes later, I was out the door on my way to First Beach once again. Luckily, this time I knew where I was going and I checked the tires to make sure one wouldn't pop yet again. It was nice enough out to enjoy a little wind while driving so I pushed the button to the convertible top and smiled as it lifted off the top of the car and folded itself down.

I pulled the Eclipse into the tiny parking lot just outside of the beach and climbed out, leaving the top down. I suspected that no one in Forks would steal the car. It probably wasn't hard to catch a criminal in this town at all. I put the key into my pocket and started on my way down to the beach, looking at the time on my cell phone. 11:38. Way to be early. If he wasn't hear already I'd have almost a half hour to sit alone, think, and enjoy the weather.

I noticed that the beach had a respectable amount of people stretching from each end. I should have assumed. This was probably one of the nicest days of the entire year, of course people would want to go to the beach. I found myself a decent sized boulder, pulled myself on top of it and soaked up what little UV rays I could. Even on one of the nicest days here in Forks, it was still cold enough for me to enjoy it.

I pulled my Ray-Bans off of my shirt and pulled them over my eyes, making it easier to see. I sat there, on top of the boulder, in a daze for I don't know how long. One minute I was looking at the sky, the next I was completely spaced out; thinking about everything and anything that my mind could muster up. I barely registered the fact that someone was now sitting next to me.

"What's up?" I turned, only to face a chiseled, russet colored chest. But it wasn't the chest that my eyes had become familiar with the night before.

"Embry?"

"Yeah. Hope you don't mind me chilling with you for awhile. Jake had a few things to take care of last minute." He was chomping down on a bag of Cheetos, turning his tan fingers orange.

"It's fine." A took a chance to really look at Embry from behind the cover of my dark glasses. It was almost scary how much he and Jacob looked alike. There was no doubt that people probably mistook them for brothers all the time.

"You know what's really fun?" Embry asked after a lull in the conversation. I focused my attention on him once again. "Telling people things they aren't supposed to know." He bit down on the baked, orange stick of cheese and grinned at me. "Don'tcha think?"

I quirked one eyebrow at him. "I guess. Kind of mean though, 'Don'tcha think?'" He ignored my poking fun at him and chewed on a handful of Cheetos.

"Not really," He shrugged. "Besides, wouldn't it be worse if it was about you and I decided to keep it to myself?"

"You're trying to get me to take the bait, Embry. I'm not a fish." I rolled my eyes even though it was futile. He couldn't see it anyway. "But, do you really have something to say or are you just trying to keep me up at night, wondering what it is I'm not supposed to know?"

He took a moment to think about his answer before smiling at me, throwing his empty bag onto the ground, not paying attention when the wind swept it into someone's face. The short, plump man it hit glared at Embry, trying to look intimidating. I snorted at that. Like anyone could look more intimidating then Embry right about now.

"A little of both." He finally answered. "Mostly the first one, but the second one would just be an added bonus." He chuckled and stretched his arms out, almost knocking my shoulder with his hand. I flinched away and saw him shoot an apologetic look at me. I shrugged it off.

"Yeah, thanks." I mumbled sarcastically.

"I would tell you, but you think it's _mean._" He leaned back on his arms, taking up most of the giant rock. It amazed me that as big as the boulder was, Embry's legs still hung halfway off while mine were stretched out in front of me. He shot me a significant look, wanting so badly to tell me but wanting me to cave in at the same time.

"Reverse psychology won't work." I sighed and stared out into the ocean, squinting through the glasses though it wasn't needed. He mimicked my sigh overdramatically. "No."

"Fine."

We both fell silent once again, but it felt strangely comfortable. It was like I've known Embry my entire life. It was strange at how he felt like a long lost friend to me.

After a few moments of silence Embry began to tap his fingers against the rough surface of the rock. The soft thudding of the pads of his fingers hitting the boulder sounded as soothing as the waves hitting the shore, only after awhile it started to get annoying. I shot him a look and he stopped immediately. Then he started to bang the heel of his foot against the side. I winced at the sound it was making. It sounded like Embry's foot _or _the rock would crack at any second. _Then _he started humming. I gritted my teeth together, trying to contain myself. It was painfully obvious that he was getting me back for not caving.

"Please stop." I got out through my clenched teeth. His eyes darted over to meet mine and his smiled innocently.

"What do you mean?" His heel met the rock's surface again making me squeeze my eyes shut as I grimaced.

"Stop that."

"What? This?" He kicked the rock and hummed the same tune again, but louder. I nodded stiffly. "Oh, sure thing." He stopped kicking the rock but still hummed the quirky, upbeat tune, his grin still in place.

"Fine! Tell me! Just please stop." His humming ceased immediately and he pushed himself off of his arms, sitting up with great posture. "Hmm, no."

"Are you serious?" I blinked profusely behind the dark lenses. "You did all that to _not _tell me?" He shrugged, his lips pursed in a thoughtful pout. "You can't do that. Tell me." His mouth turned into a lopsided grin as he looked pointedly at me. "Please tell me." I begged, giving him what he wanted. I am a fish. And he just caught me with his stupid, annoyingly clever tactics. Hook, line, and sinker.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you're getting a little clingy. I mean begging? Via, I thought you were better then that." He chuckled when I took my sunglasses off and glared at him. "I think it's pretty obvious, but I need to ask before I tell." I nodded, waiting for him to continue. "How do you feel about Jake?"

"What exactly do you mean?" I played stupid, surprising myself at how convincing that really was.

"Via," Embry's facial expression was somber. "You know what I mean. I just don't want to think my best friend is wasting his time on something that's not gonna happen."

I looked down at the material of the shorts I'd looked so hard for earlier that morning. The hem was frayed with little white strings. I plucked at one, not answering Embry. I felt his intense stare on the side of my face and become self conscious.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Embry." I stated seriously. I hopped down from the big boulder, twisting my ankle and wincing at the pain shooting through my leg. I let out a loud squeal of pain and sank down into the sand, clutching my ankle. It was already red and swollen. "Jesus!"

"Oh, shit. Via, are you ok?" Embry was next to me in remarkable timing. His gaze went from my face to my ankle, back to my face and then behind me. His features twisted and his eyes widened. He rose to his feet, telling me he'd be right back and ran off.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing the pain to go away. I've never been so careless. Jumping off a big boulder into a pile of sand wasn't smart at all, but I wasn't thinking that at the time. Sure, sand looks nice and fluffy, like a pillow, but your foot can get caught in it apparently. I forced my eyes open and stared down at the puffed up skin. It looked horrible and the pain was getting exceedingly worse. I wouldn't scream or cry because I didn't want the attention of some stranger. I just hoped Embry was somewhere getting help.

I was so focused on the intense pain that was gather in that one area that I didn't notice Embry had come back, along with Jacob. I was immediately more comfortable once Jake was next to me. The pain seemed to ease a little in his presence. I turned my attention to him, almost forgetting that Embry was on my other side. Jake was crouched down next to me, looking from my ankle to my eyes, pain in his own eyes. His hands lay at his side as he looked hopelessly back and forth. I shifted my ankle accidentally, whimpering as the pain shot up my leg once again. Jacob flinched at the sound.

"Jacob, we need to get her to the hospital." Embry knocked Jake on the shoulder, breaking him from the trance he seemed to be in. Jake's eyes shot up to Embry and he nodded, telling Embry to go get the car. Embry nodded and left, running as fast as he could.

"V, are you okay?" He spoke directly to me for the first time since he arrived with Embry. His voice was laced with worry and desperation and I tried to nod, but it probably looked like a twitch. "Any way you can hop to the car?" He tried to smirk but it wasn't working. It didn't reach his eyes.

I looked at him. For a long time. Could I do it? If I didn't, I'd end up sitting here, with a broken ankle for the rest of my life. I had to do it, I decided.

"Help me." I croaked out through the pain. His eyebrows narrowed as he realized what I meant.

"I can't. We'll just call for help. Where's your phone?"

I pointed to the broken piece of black plastic a few feet away from me. It must have fallen off the rock with me. I shook my head.

"Jake, just help me." I lifted my hand and held it towards him. He looked into my eyes for a few seconds, searching for confirmation. I shook my hand at him, giving him the confirmation that he wanted. He was still hesitant. I grabbed onto his shoulder, grasping the material there and tried to lift myself up to my good leg. His hands went to my waist as he helped me stand.

"I was kidding when I said hop. I can ask someone else for help for you." His voice was steady full of authority, and it would have been more convincing if his hands hadn't grasped onto my waist tighter as he spoke. It was clear that he didn't want to let go. My breathing hitched in my throat just thinking about what I was going to do.

"Then carry me."

His eyebrows raised at my bold suggestion and then went back to their previous position - making a tiny crease form in between his eyes. I stared up at him and watched the emotions flicker through his eyes, trying to decided whether or not to do it. His eyes shot down to my swollen ankle and foot, which I was holding a few inches off the ground. Then they moved back up to meet mine. His eyes were smoldering and in one quick movement; I was in his arms being carried back to the car.

He was being as careful as he could with me, trying to touch the least amount of skin as possible. His right arm was placed strategically under my knees, feeling like fire just as I remembered. I closed my eyes trying to forget about the heat and the pain. I fought back the images that dared to run through my head, mocking me. Suddenly the pain was gone and the memories with it. I peeked one eye open and noticed I was sitting in the backseat of a car, driven by Embry. Jacob was in the passenger seat, though he might as well have been in the back with me. Every five seconds he kept shooting looks back at me, making sure I was okay. I turned my head, letting my hair fall over my face and grinned. I wasn't crying or running away, not in the literal sense of the word since I technically couldn't. I was mentally celebrating, until we hit a speed bump. My leg bounced, hitting the seat. Hard. The pain was so intense my breathing hitched and I closed my eyes and blacked out.

---

Oh, sorry for the cliffy you guys : ( don't hurt me!

It was kind of necessary because the chapter was tooooo long.

Review and I'll update faster!


	10. Chapter 10

**Alright, well I decided to throw you guys a curveball and mix it up this chapter.**

**It's *drum roll* JPOV! Because after this chapter there will probably only be another chapter in his POV and then we won't hear anymore of his thoughts until waaaaay later. Cause Jacob is mysterious.**

**BTW - This chapter is shorter because it's kinda just a filler on what Jacob is thinking. Next chapter will be normal length and in VPOV unless you guys want otherwise.**

**----**

I've never been so scared in my life. My heart was pounding against my chest, kinda like a jackhammer, and damn, I wanted to cry. The last time I cried was the first time I phased. Paul likes to mock me but I've seen his thoughts. He cried the most out of all of us.

This was worse then phasing for the first time. I could practically feel the pain that was radiating off of her. She looked so fragile and tiny when I first saw her.

I was on patrol - that crazy redhead bloodsucker was somewhere out there and she had made tons of new 'friends'. I didn't like the fact that she was after Bells and Sam didn't like the fact that she was coming with hundreds of filthy leeches. So he had me on double shifts yet again. I'd begged him to let Leah or Jared take my place as 'Beta' for one day, but Sam made it very clear that if he, Jared and Quil could leave their imprints, I could leave a girl that I hadn't imprinted on for a few hours. Well, fuck that. How I felt about her was practically the same. I just couldn't for the life of me figure out why I just hadn't - imprinted that is. What was stopping it? I knew she was it for me so what the hell?

So, I'd told Embry to go to the beach to be with her while I was phased. He'd agreed all to willingly and bolted to First Beach. I was surprised, to say the least, when I heard Embry's thoughts no less then an hour later.

"Embry, what the hell man?" I ran in between two trees to meet him in the middle. His thoughts were everywhere - not even finishing one thought.

"Dude, Jake, get to the beach." His eyes were wide with anxiety and apologetic at the same time. I sifted through his thoughts and found an image that killed me.

She was on the ground, cowering close to a gray boulder, grasping her ankle. Her face was twisted in pain and her ankle was swollen and red. One single tear fell down her cheek and she squeezed her eyes shut. And that was it for me. I took off in the direction of the beach and my clothes, ignoring Sam calling me to come back.

Now she was lying in front of me, covered with tubes and poked with needles. Her eyes were closed, giving her a peaceful look, but I knew she was still in pain. The painkillers hadn't kicked in yet.

She was perfect and I was gone. Long, long gone. Screw imprinting. Nothing could make me leave her. Ever. She'd put enough trust in me to let me carry her back to the car. I didn't give a shit if it was because there was really no other choice. But I felt horrible for making those memories of her dad come back to her.

I shot a look down at her leg. Her ankle was covered in a tan, gauzy fabric. I winced at it. It looked like a rock was placed underneath. I felt a pang of guilt. If Sam hadn't put me on double shifts I would have been there on time and this might not have happened.

I wanted so fucking badly to reach out and touch her but I forced my hands into my pockets. Knowing me, she'd wake up the second I touched her and I would be screwed. _But I _did_ already touch her…_ I couldn't. She didn't actually want me to touch her. Why the fuck would she want that? She's not masochistic.

I wanted to blame someone for this; Embry because he was there and Same because he put me on patrol. Not to mention I feel horrible for yelling at Embry for driving over the speed bump way too fast. I'm pretty sure it's what made her pass out from the pain.

I pulled my hands from my pockets and buried my face into them. This was torture at it's worst. Or best depending on how you look at it. I couldn't move, not that I even wanted to. I wasn't about to leave her in here by herself. If she wakes up alone she'll probably freak out. No, I wasn't moving. But it was tearing me apart to watch her lying there looking helpless and sickly. Her skin was still flushed, making her already pale skin paler. She looked like a Cullen for God's sake.

Tapping my foot impatiently on the ground, I heard Embry's heavy footsteps pounding down the hallway. The kid couldn't wait to eat, again. Out of all of us, Embry definitely ate the most. He bounded into the room, sandwich in hand, and pulled a chair up next to mine.

"She's gonna be alright, Jake." He said through a mouthful of bread and ham. I shot him a look and dug my face back into my palms. I hear his loud chewing and growled. He might be my best friend, but at the moment I wanted to strangle him. I didn't need to hear what Jaws sounds like when he eats.

I peeked through my fingers at Via. Her chest was rising and falling with every breath she drew in. She sucked in air and I watched as her mouth parted slightly. As soon as my hopes for her waking up came, they vanished when she buried her face into the pillow and sighed.

"I should have been there."

"How the hell would you have known she was going to break her ankle?" He shoved the last piece into his mouth and swallowed. "There's nothing you could have done."

I was about to argue with him, thought it would have done no good, when I saw Via move out of the corner of my eye. Her head lolled to one side and she inhaled deeply, resting her left hand on her stomach. I moved my chair closer to her and waited until she settled down again.

"Dude, this is hard to watch." Embry nudged my shoulder and I knew what he was talking about. I was being ridiculous. I hadn't even imprinted and I was more whipped then the guys that were.

"Then don't look." I snapped and turned slightly so I was facing away from him. He snorted at that and put a hand on my shoulder. I wanted to shrug it off but there was only so much that Embry can take lightly.

"Jake, you've been sitting here for hours watching her sleep. You need to get up. Get food or something. Her mom's going to be here soon." I still wanted to slap him for that. He was the one who got to call her mom and he told her that it would be alright for her to come after work. I would have convinced her to come that second, even if it isn't that major. I should've known better then to let Embry handle anything like that.

"I'm not hungry." I mumbled, staring at Via's face. Really, I couldn't give a damn about food right now and that had to be a first. The only thing I was worried about was sleeping in a hospital bed with a broken ankle. I was concentrating so damn hard, trying to imprint just so I'd have a reason to be acting like this, but it wasn't working.

"Then go for a walk, man. Just get out of here for a few minutes." He was pleading with me. I'd never heard Embry so worried about anything, least of all my sanity.

"I won't leave the room if it makes you feel better. I'll make sure she doesn't flail too much in her sleep. That way she won't break the other ankle." He punched my shoulder and chuckled, trying to make the situation light. I cracked a smile for the first time in hours. He was right, I needed to get out of here for awhile. No longer then an hour, I decided.

I took one last look at Via before standing and walking over to the door, slowly. Reaching the door, I turned around, hesitating.

"Go." He didn't even turn around. He was flipping through one of the generic magazines that they had on the bedside table. "Go." He repeated in a singsong voice. I flipped his back the middle finger and headed for the exit of the hospital. The noise of people talking and gurneys being rolled and metal clanging filled the air, making me cringe. Hospitals were horrible places and I couldn't stand being in one. Least of all one that a leech worked in. Granted, Carlisle didn't really seem like a vampire he sure smelled like one. I could handle Dr. Fang, I could stand the little one, Alice but I would rather be torn to pieces then be around any of the other ones. Mainly Edward.

I turned the corner, about to exit the building when the sickly sweet smell circulated around me. I already knew it was the doctor. I waited patiently for him to say something, because why else would he trail after me?

"Jacob." Even his voice was sickening with it's soft tone. "Nice to see you."

_Yeah, nice to see you too, Dracula. _I was glad Edward wasn't around or I would have gotten shit for that comment. I can't help myself with the vampire humor. They just make it too easy.

I squared my shoulders and turned to face him. His unnatural gold eyes stared up at me, making me feel almost bad. Alright, so I have to give him some props seeing as he can handle being around blood 24/7 without giving in and massacring everyone. It was kind of like being around God in a sense. Nurses were passing by staring at him in wonder. Maybe he was God. Not like I'd really care. I'm not one for religion.

"I don't mean to pry, but I heard some of your conversation with your friend. I can see that you really care for Alyvia." He tucked his clipboard under his arm and smiled at me. Jesus.

"Not like you can really help what you hear." I muttered in a low voice. "And maybe I do care about _Via._" His face showed no proof that he'd noticed my harsh tone, which I know he had. He has ears like a dog, if you ignore the pun.

"I just thought I'd let you know that Alice insisted on coming down here the minute she found out." Great, more of the leeches were arriving. No doubt that Edward would come and Bella would be tagging along with him with her new, fancy, engagement ring on her finger. I still wasn't over that. The thought of Bella throwing her life away for some guy is ridiculous. She could've had a much better life if she had just chosen me! Don't even go there, Jake. That's long over now. But just the thought of him breaking her, taking her life away from her is ridiculous. She had her chance and she chose otherwise.

"But I told them they could wait until _Via _was settled in at home." Well, damn. I wanted to hug a leech. A big, bone crushing hug.

"You… well. Thanks." I finished lamely. This was God. God is Carlisle Cullen - aka Dr. Fang.

"You're welcome, Jacob. Proceed with what you were doing before I interrupted." He smiled a blinding smile at me and walked away, pushing through nurses like he does it every day and he probably does.

I turned around and pushed the door open with a stupid grin on my face. I felt like an idiot, and probably looked like one, but I didn't give a shit. She wouldn't smell like leeches tonight. She'd smell like me… and Embry, but whatever. They would have to endure my 'stench' when they saw her.

Good.

---

I'd taken a long walk around the forest, taking in the nice day like the pansy I really was. Although Embry was right about me needing to get out of that room for awhile, I couldn't help but want the hour to be over just so I could go back and see her. Even though I knew it would put me right back into that horrible mood. That mood was worth it if I got to be around her. I did, however, enjoy the chance to think about everything. Everything, meaning, Via.

I arrived back at the hospital and pushed through the doors, almost knocking into a male nurse as I sprinted to the room. Hours are very long when you want to get somewhere. I can't believe I've never noticed that before. I heard Embry's snoring as I approached the room and wondered if Via was awake. There is no way she could endure his snoring. It was like a bulldozer and a jackhammer going off at the same time, and that's putting it gently.

The door was closed, and I figured it was probably an annoyed nurse wanting to shut up the noises coming from the room. I turned the knob and gently pushed the door open, not wanting to disturb her if she was still asleep. I stared down at the floor, not wanting to go back to my bad mood when I saw her foot quite yet. I turned by back towards them and clicked the door shut.

"Shh." I jumped a little. Hopefully not too obviously. "You'll wake him."

I turned around to face Via. She was sitting upright in the bed with her foot elevated. Her hair was mussed on the right side from where she had been sleeping on it and there were pale purple shadows under her eyes. It was painfully obvious that she was still tired but even she can't sleep through Embry's snoring. It kind of scared me how much she looked like a bloodsucker right then. She was unnaturally beautiful and with the pale skin and dark shadows under her eyes, the only way you could tell she was human was her eye color.

I stalked towards the bed, pushed Embry farther away and sat in my former seat. Her eyes watched my every move, like she was trying to remember something. I became self conscious for the first time in God knows how long. But, surprisingly, I wasn't in such a bad mood as I had been before.

"Where'd you go?" Her voice cracked a little bit and she cringed at the sound.

"I took a walk. Tried to think about some things." I rested my elbows on my knees and looked directly into her eyes, concentrating as hard as I could. Nothing was working. Nothing, damn it.

"Think about what?" She glanced away and picked at the cheep blanket that covered her legs. She flicked a piece of string off the bed sighed. She knew that I was thinking about her, but I didn't understand why she wanted me to say it.

"I think that we should… talk about something." My eyes were boring into the side of her face, begging her to look at me again. I was going to lay the cards on the table, ready to bet everything. I knew it meant the chance of rejection and pain but I couldn't deal with all the coyness and questions anymore. I'd prepared myself for this on the walk. If she didn't want me, I'd go away.

"Look at me." I whispered softly, trying not to scare her away already. She hesitated slightly, but slowly turned her head to look at me. Her eyes almost killed me. She was scared and nervous about what I was going to say, but she already knew it was coming. But it didn't make it any easier for either of us.

"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life, V. When Embry came running, telling me that you were hurt I couldn't think of anything else but getting to you. I left when I probably shouldn't have and I'm gonna get my ass kicked for that later but I don't care. I couldn't care less actually. The only important thing was getting to you as fast as possible. And I felt horrible having to carry you back to the car. It hurt you and I'm a fucking idiot for doing that. I should have just called for help even though you asked me to do it. And when you fucking passed out in the car, I could have killed myself. I think I broke about 10 laws trying to get you here safely after that.

Look, I'm just gonna put everything out there, ok? I think you know how I feel about you - us. I just… I need to know what you're thinking right now."

I stared into her eyes, feeling like an ass for blurting that out on her. She was abnormally quiet and I was scared shitless. Silence can't mean anything good. Can it?

"Jacob… I…" She stumbled through her words, speaking as softly as possible. "You're an amazing guy and I feel like a horrible person for not seeing that earlier. I don't understand why you picked me." She choked on her words as tears filled her eyes. Fucking… I made her cry. That fact alone tore at my chest.

"You're my best friend, Jake. I… I don't think I can feel the same way about you that you do for me. I couldn't possibly be a good choice for you. I have too much baggage. How could you want to be with someone you can't even touch?" Her voice became harsher and louder as she continued. "I can't risk losing a friend because of something like that."

"I don't care about that. I don't care if I can't touch you… right away. We can work on that." I pleaded, trying to make my voice as steady as possible.

"We can't, Jake." She whispered. "I'm never going to get past the memories. It's too hard."

"You know you can, Via. It's just easier for you to say you can't because you're afraid to try. We can…""Jake, you can't be with someone who can't fully trust you. Just… please, just be my friend. Isn't that good enough?"

Her eyes were stained red from the tears and every single tear was ripping through me like a knife. Friend… I guess I could deal with that, because it's the only thing that would keep me around her. Maybe it's why I didn't imprint on her. Maybe I'm only supposed to be her friend and someone out there, whoever controlled imprinting, was taking it easy on me.

"I can do that." I smiled, trying to lighten the mood. I made my smile gradually bigger until a small one broke out on her face. I poked her stomach through the blanket and she giggled. "But I won't just take friend." Her face contorted in confusion and I laughed. "Best Friend. I don't like sharing a title with other 'just friends'." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Damn, I should probably go tell Larissa that she can't be my best friend anymore."

"If I didn't know you were joking I'd probably cry a little bit." She laughed and played with the blanket again, wiping the tears off her hands.

"So, just to be clear -" I cut off when I heard someone scrambling down the hallway muttering '312' over and over again to herself. I turned towards Via and smiled. Her mother was rushing towards the room and Via didn't even know it yet. "Hey, if I told you I was psychic would you believe it?" I grinned at her and watched as she raised an eyebrow at my question. She shook her head and I chuckled. "Ok, so let's bet five bucks. Your mom's going to walk through the door in 5, 4, 3, 2..." I nearly burst out laughing at Via's expression when her mom threw the door open and launched herself into the room on cue. She didn't even notice me or Embry sitting in the room.

"Liv, sweetie, are you ok? How the hell did you break your ankle? Why didn't you call me when it first happened. Is it broken badly?" The questions were spoken so quickly they came out like a run-on sentence. I chuckled out loud and flinched when her eyes shot to me.

She waited a few seconds, taking in the fact that there were two guys in the room with her daughter. "Hi?" Her eyebrow shot up, mimicking Via's look from earlier. Now I know where Via get's those eyes from. I debated whether or not to stand, because I didn't want to shock her with my height, but then decided it would probably score me some points if I acted like a gentleman. I rose to my feet and extended my hand. "I'm Jacob Black." I smiled genuinely at her as she took my hand and shook it. It was almost like a repeat of when I first met Via, except her mom didn't run away. Out of the corner of my eye, I didn't miss Via's expression change drastically as she watched her mother shake my hand.

"Bridget. I'm the mother of this one. Unfortunately." She let go of my hand and pinched her daughter's cheek as she smiled at her. "Liv, I hope you're paying for the hospital bill." Via stuck her tongue out at her mom and rolled her eyes. "Who's the adult in this relationship, Mom?" Bridget played dumb as she took a seat on the side of the bed, pushing back the hair off Via's face.

"Are you the one that called me?" Bridget looked at me curiously. I shook my head and pointed over my shoulder at the still snoring Embry.

"No, that would be him." She peered behind me and shot a look at Embry. She laughed and straightened herself.

"Liv, don't tell me you're so boring you put him to sleep."

"Actually, when I woke up, Embry started telling me a story and he fell asleep on his own…" Via's eyebrow's furrowed together, making a crease between her eyes as she remembered. "Maybe you should wake him up. He's been snoring like that for 45 minutes."

I took a step towards Embry and knocked his shoulder as hard as I could without it looking suspicious. He jolted awake, looking disoriented and rubbed his eyes. His mouth opened in a huge yawn and he started mumbling incoherent things to himself. When he finally took in the reason he was now awake he started mumbling cusses at me. I punched him, softer this time, and pointed at the almost identical women now staring at us.

"What the fu - Oh. Oh!" He jumped up from the chair and blinked twice as he took in the addition to our little group. Damn. He's really gonna do it.

He stumbled over to Bridget, taking in her appearance as inconspicuously as he could and halted once he got to her side. He smiled down at her, trying to be charming.

"Let me guess. You're Via's sister right?" I rolled my eyes at the outdated line and sat myself back down in the chair, shooting a look to Via. She looked absolutely disgusted that Embry was hitting on her mom. I, on the other hand, was particularly amused at that.

"You wanna try another line?" Bridget smiled up at Embry and batted her eyelashes innocently. He sighed and hung his head, backing farther away from her. "Maybe next time, buddy." She reached up and patted his shoulder.

His eyes lit up immediately. "There's gonna be a next time?"

"Don't get your hopes up, kiddo." She smiled and looked back at Via, talking about something I didn't catch.

I decided to give Via and her mom a chance to talk, seeing as I was starving. I nudged Embry and pointed towards the door. Before walking out of the room completely, I turned back around and looked at Via.

"Hey, me and Embry are gonna get something to eat. You guys want anything?" They both shook their heads no and Via smiled at me, asking with her eyes if I was still okay about the whole just friends thing. I cracked a smile and nodded my head at her silent question even though it killed me to be just a friend. I didn't want her to know that. I nodded a goodbye to her and watched as she gave a little wave before heading out with Embry, who was making… very descriptive gestures of what he would like to do with her mother. I smacked the back of his head as we walked away, not missing Bridget's comment.

"They were cute. Where'd you find them and how can I get one?"

---

Two hours after Embry and I left for food, Via was free to go, but not without a huge black boot for her ankle. She cussed the whole time the boot was being adjusted to her foot, although it was low enough that only Embry and I could hear. I don't even think I knew of half of the words she used until she said them.

Much to my disappointment, her mom got to drive her home because she wanted her to rest. Via pouted like a little kid but eventually got into the car and headed home with her mom. I'd be up all night making sure she was ok. Most likely by standing under her window.

After leaving the hospital, I decided then was as good a time as any to have Sam get on my case about leaving earlier. Might as well get that tirade over with as soon as possible. Embry and I phased once we were far enough away from the hospital and ran over to Sam and Emily's. I tried to ignore Embry's thoughts about Bridget as we ran, but they were almost as constant as his thoughts about food. And they were twice as graphic.

"_Damn, those are some good genes in that family." _His tongue was hanging out of his mouth as he pictured Via and Bridget standing next to each other. I'm man enough to admit that I did spend awhile admiring the outfit he picture Via in, but I shouldered him as soon as I was done to get him to stop thinking about them like that. I quickly replayed what I did to Seth that one day. The thoughts stopped almost immediately.

"_If you're gonna think about those 'genes' can you limit it to at least her mother? Even if that is really creepy."_

"_What? She's hot, Jake. And she's not that much older then me." _He knew I wouldn't argue with the fact that she was good looking. I'm still a guy and I do notice that type of thing.

"_Ok, so you want to be Via's new step-dad?" _I thought jokingly as I jumped over him and onto a pile of leaves, kicking them into his face. He snuffed and lunged for my back legs.

"_Yupp, and I'll be the one who approves of who she dates and doesn't date. Wanna know which list you're on?" _He barked a laugh as he bit my tail, dragging me backwards. I turned, ignoring the pain and jumped at him, making him back away. I smiled.

"_In all seriousness, Em. I didn't know you had a thing for Cougars. Cat person, huh? That's a little kinky." _He growled. _"Hurry up, douche. We gotta get to Sam's so he can yell at me." _I thought sarcastically.

"_Alright. I'm gonna pull a Leah." _He dug his foot into the ground like a bull does before it charges. _"Let's race."_ I rolled my eyes and nodded my head. _"Go!" _He took off running before I could even register what happened. _"What happened to 'ready, set'?" _I pushed my legs faster, gaining on him, having a good time. There were great perks to being a werewolf.

"_They don't exist to me, buddy." _

_---_

"I said I was sorry about… yeah, 28 times now, Sam." I sat in a hard wooden chair, Sam pacing in a circle around me like I was a kid. I kinda felt like a kid too. He was making me anxious with all the pacing.

"…The most immature thing you've ever done, Jacob. What if that Victoria was out there and she brought her friends? I would have needed your help." I almost tuned him out. Almost. I would have gotten shit on later if I did that though.

I watched as Emily tried to get Sam to settle down but Sam ignored her. She shot me an apologetic look and I smiled at her, letting her know it was alright. She shot a glare at Sam that meant he was definitely in trouble and walked out of the room. I desperately wanted to make a crack at his expense. Someone wasn't getting any tonight. But right then wouldn't have been a good time to try that one out.

"Sam, come on. Take it easy. The kid was worried." Embry laid his hand on Sam's shoulder, trying to get him to listen but stopped when Sam literally growled at him.

"Jake, if someone would have gotten hurt, or worse, killed today I would have held you personally responsible." I tried not to roll my eyes. Was he being serious? There were how many other guys he could have gotten to take my place after I ran off? He was deluded if he was being serious. "You're one of the best pack members, Jacob. You're the Beta. You have to take that seriously." Embry shot Sam's back the middle finger at the remark.

"I know. I seriously couldn't give a damn if I was lowest on the rank though. I take the pack serious enough, Sam." He stood in front of me with his arms crossed against his chest. "Tell me something. If Emily was hurt while you were on patrol, would you have ignored that until whatever you were doing was done?"

I saw him thinking of various scenarios and watched as he tried to find an answer that wouldn't be a complete lie. We both knew that he would be out of there in a split second if something happened to Em.

"Jacob, that's different. Emily is my life and I'd be nothing if something ever happened to her. She's my imprint." I scoffed.

"That's bullshit and you know it Sam. You act like no one else can mean anything to you unless it's because of imprinting. You have absolutely no idea how I feel when I'm around Via. It's a lot like how you feel around Emily. Maybe even stronger. So don't feed me this shit about how she's not my imprint. She might as well be." I stood up abruptly from the chair, knocking it over and standing face to face with Sam.

"You know it's the truth." We stood, staring directly into each other's eyes, as if we were fighting for dominance. Alpha to Beta. And somehow it didn't feel like I was the Beta. Sam backed away first, still holding my gaze. He was beyond pissed at me and I didn't give a shit. He acts all high and fucking mighty because he's the Alpha. The only reason he's Alpha is because I didn't want that fucking job. I didn't want anything that came with being Alpha.

"I'm leaving." I kept my eyes on him until I brushed by. "Tell Em I said bye, Embry." I shouted over my shoulder and stalked out of the house, phasing as soon as I could. I ran through the forest, ignoring the thoughts of the other guys. I only had one place I wanted to go.

And it wasn't home.

**---**

**Okayyyy. So what did you guys think? Full Jacob chapter? Like it? Don't like it?Again, sorry about the length. JPOV is harder then I thought.**

**PLEASE REVIEW. Sorry for the caps but it get's attention, eh?**


End file.
